Italian 3 1 Audiobook

LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #1
Italian Transitive Verbs: She Beat
Up That Little Boy!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
10 Cultural Insight
# 1
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ITALIAN
1. Laura: Pronto?
2. John: Ciao Laura, come stai?
3. Laura: Ciao, io sto bene e tu?
4. John: Anch'io, grazie. Cosa fai?
5. Laura: Lavo i piatti e tu?
6. John: Guardo la televisione, ma non c’è nulla di divertente.
7. Laura: Perché non ascolti un podcast?
8. John: Hai ragione! Ora cerco un podcast interessante. Grazie. Ciao.
9. Laura: Ciao.
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Hello?
2. John: Hello Laura, how are you?
3. Laura: Hi, I’m fine. And you?
4. John: Me too, thanks. What are you doing?
5. Laura: I’m washing the dishes. And you?
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #1 - I T ALI AN T RANS I T I VE VERBS : S HE BEAT UP T HAT LI T T LE BOY! 2

6. John: I’m watching television but there’s nothing fun.
7. Laura: Why don’t you listen to a podcast?
8. John: You are right! I’m going to look for an interesting podcast. Thanks.
Bye.
9. Laura: Bye.
VOCABULARY
Italian English C lass
lavare to wash, clean verb
guardare to look, to watch verb
televisione television noun
ascoltare to listen verb
podcast podcast noun
interessante interesting adjective
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Lavo la camicia. La domenica molti italiani guardano il

calcio in TV.
"I'm washing the shirt."
"On Sunday a lot of Italian people watch
soccer on TV."
Guardiamo un film italiano? Guardi la tv?
"Shall we watch an Italian movie?" "Are you watching TV?"

La televisione non funziona. Non ascoltare musica a volume alto.
"The television isn't working." "Don't listen to loud music."
Ascoltiamo il discorso di Mario. Ascolta bene!
"We are listening to Mario's speech." "Listen well!"
Italianpod101.com è un podcast È una teoria molto interessante.

fantastico.
"It is a very interesting theory."
"Italianpod101.com is a fantastic podcast."
GRAMMAR
Transitive Verbs
Lavo i piatti e tu?
"I'm washing the dishes. And you?"
Transitive Verbs are those verbs, which a complemento oggetto (direct object) follows. This
means that the action falls on an object and it doesn't stay on the subject itself.
For instance:
1. Lucia sta leggendo un romanzo.

"Lucia is reading a novel."
2. Mario mangia una mela.

"Mario is eating an apple."
3. Serena canta una canzone.

"Serena is singing a song."
We may use transitive verbs in absolute term. This happens when a direct object does not
follow the transitive verb. In this case, the verb simply indicates what action the subject
performs.

Taking the examples above:
1. Lucia sta leggendo.

"Lucia is reading."
2. Mario mangia.
"Mario is eating."
3. Serena canta.
"Serena is singing."
When used in absolute terms, we should not mistake transitive verbs for intransitive verbs.
The best method to identify transitive verbs is to ask ourselves whether a direct object may
follow them or not, even if we use them in general terms. In other words, we should ask
ourselves "what?"
For example, if we read a sentence such as Francesco cucina ("Francesco is cooking"), we

should ask ourselves "could he be cooking pasta, rice, or something else? Of course, he can!
Therefore, cucinare is a transitive verb.
We cannot use all transitive verbs in absolute terms. For example, we don't normally say Mike
guarda ("Mike is looking at/watching"). Although we know what action he is performing, this
mere fact does not make a meaningful sentence.
The following table presents some of the most commonly used Italian transitive verbs:
Italian "English"
abbracciare "to hug"
accendere "to switch, turn on"
accettare "to accept"
aiutare "to help"
amare "to love"
ascoltare "to hear, listen to"

battere "to beat, hit, strike"
bloccare "to block"
bruciare "to burn"
cacciare "to hunt"
calcolare "to calculate, compute"
calmare "to calm down"
cambiare "to change"
cancellare "to cancel, delete"
capire "to understand"
capovolgere "to turn upside-down"
caricare "to load"
catturare "to capture"
cavalcare "to ride"
cercare "to search for, look for"
chiamare "to call"
chiedere "to ask"
chiudere "to close"
combattere "to fight"
colpire "to hit"
definire "to define"
deporre "to deposit, lay down"

descrivere "to describe"
difendere "to defend"
dipingere "to paint"
dividere "to divide"
elevare "to raise, lift up"
eliminare "to eliminate"
esaminare "to examine"
evitare "to avoid"
fermare "to stop"
formare "to form; make"
fotografare "to photograph"
generare "to generate"
gestire "to manage"
gettare "to throw, cast"
guardare "to look at"
guidare "to drive"
identificare "to identify"
ignorare "to ignore"
imbottire "to stuff, pad"
imitare "to emulate; imitate"
impiegare "to use"

indicare "to point, indicate"
informare "to inform"
iniziare "to start, initiate"
interrompere "to interrupt"
lasciare "to leave"
lavare "to wash"
legare "to tie (up)"
liberare "to free"
lodare "to praise"
lusingare "to flatter"
mangiare "to eat"
memorizzare "to memorize"
misurare "to measure, gauge"
modificare "to modify"
mostrare "to show"
muovere "to move"
nascondere "to hide"
noleggiare "to hire"
nutrire "to feed"
occupare "to occupy"
offendere "to offend"

ospitare "to host"
osservare "to observe"
ostacolare "to hamper, hinder"
ottenere "to get, obtain"
pagare "to pay"
paragonare "to compare"
perdonare "to forgive"
pesare "to weight"
piegare "to bend"
preferire "to prefer"
prendere "to take"
promettere "to promise"
provare "to try"
pulire "to clean"
punire "to punish"
rappresentare "to represent"
reggere "to hold (up), bear"
respingere "to reject"
ricevere "to receive"
rimuovere "to remove, take off"
riscaldare "to warm up"

salutare "to greet"
salvare "to save"
scegliere "to choose"
scordare "to forget"
seguire "to follow"
soccorrere "to aid, assist"
spingere "to push"
stringere "to grip, clench"
tenere "to have, hold, keep"
tirare "to pull"
trovare "to find"
uccidere "to kill, murder"
udire "to hear"
unire "to join, unite"
usare "to use"
vedere "to see"
vendere "to sell"
visitare "to visit"
CULTURAL INSIGHT

Fontana dei quattro fiumi
The Fountain of Four Rivers
Gianlorenzo Bernini realized the fontana dei quattro fiumi (the Fountain of Four Rivers) under
the patronage of Pope Innocenzo X. The fountain represents an allegory of the pacification
role the pope was meant to have between rival nations in the world. The dove of peace is
located on the top of its obelisk. A great rock is located at the centre of the fountain. It has four
large protuberances, which embody the most representative rivers of the four known
continents (Australia had not yet been discovered).
The four rivers represented are: the Nile for Africa, the Ganges for Asia, the Danube for
Europe, and the Rio de la Plata for the American continent. A hood shrouds the head of the
Nile to represent that its springs are unknown. Ganges holds a long oar symbolizing its
perfect navigability. Flowers crown the Danube. Rio de la Plata looks at a snake while
protecting a chest full of treasures, showing a worried expression. Legends about the true
meaning of these postures abound and are part of the folklore of Rome.

LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #2
Italian Intransitive Verbs: I Like
Swimming and Dancing!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
10 Cultural Insight
# 2
ITALIAN
1. John: Pronto?
2. Laura: Ciao John. Allora ascolti qualche podcast?
3. John: Veramente dormo.
4. Laura: Ma come, non esci? È una così bella giornata.
5. John: Uscire? No, oggi ozio tutto il giorno.
6. Laura: Allora buon riposo, ma non russare troppo.
7. John: Io non russo!
8. Laura: Ciao.
ENGLISH
1. John: Hello?
2. Laura: Hello, John. So, are you listening to the podcasts?
3. John: Actually, I’m sleeping.
4. Laura: How come? You’re not going out? It’s such a nice day.
5. John: Go out? No, today I’m lazing around all day.
6. Laura: Then have a nice rest, but don’t snore too much.
CONT'D OVER
ITALIANPOD101.COM NEWBIE S2 #2 - ITALIAN INTRANSITIVE VERBS: I LIKE SWIMMING AND DANCING! 2

7. John: I don’t snore!
8. Laura: Bye.
VOCABULARY
Italian English Class Gender
dormire to sleep verb
bello nice, good adjective
giornata day noun feminine
to laze around, lie

oziare around, lounge verb
riposo rest, sleep noun masculine
russare to snore verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
La domenica mio fratello dorme fino a Ieri ho dormito tutto il giorno.

mezzogiorno.
"Yesterday, I slept all day long."
"On Sundays, my brother sleeps until
midday."
Il gatto dorme. Quel quadro è molto bello.
"The cat is sleeping." "That picture is very nice."
Quella casa è bella. Ho passato tutta la giornata a casa.
"That house is nice." "I spent the whole day at home."

Oggi è stata una giornata Oggi è proprio una bella giornata.
lunghissima.
"Today is really a good day."
"Today has been a very long day."
È bello oziare durante le vacanze. Il riposo è sacro.
"It's nice to laze around during holidays." "Rest is sacred."
Luca russa tutte le sere.
"Luca snores every evening."
GRAMMAR
Intransitive Verbs
Veramente dormo.
“Actually, I’m sleeping.”
Intransitive verbs are those verbs, which a direct object cannot follow.
For example:
1. John dorme.
"John is sleeping."
2. Mary è arrivata a casa.

"Mary arrived at home."
3. Franco sta correndo.

"Franco is running."
Intransitive verbs describe either emotional or physical states of being, or actions whose
effects fall on the subject. Certain intransitive verbs become transitive when the so-called
"internal direct object" follows after them. An internal direct object is a noun whose
meaning is strictly related to that of the verb.

For instance:
1. Ho dormito sonni tranquilli.

"I slept easy."
2. Mio nonno ha vissuto una vita felice.

"My grandfather lived a happy life."
3. Lei sta piangendo lacrime amare.

"She's shedding bitter tears."
In compound tenses, the majority of intransitive verbs referring to emotional and physical
states require the auxiliary essere (to be). There are important exceptions to this guideline
(i.e., it's not a proper grammatical rule). The best way to find out the auxiliary of the main
verb remains to look it up in a good dictionary. The following list provides you with the most
commonly used Italian intransitive verbs:
Italiano "English"
abbaiare "to bark"
abusare "to abuse"
accadere "to happen"
acconsentire "to consent, allow"
agire "to act"
alloggiare "to house, reside"
andare "to go to"
assistere "to tend to (someone)"
avvenire "to happen"
badare "to take care of"
barare "to cheat"
bastare "to be enough, sufficient"

brillare "to shine"
bussare "to knock"
cadere "to fall down"
camminare "to walk"
cessare "to cease"
colare "to drip"
conferire "to confer"
consistere "to consist"
correre "to run"
danzare "to dance"
deperire "to waste (away)"
dimagrire "to lose weight"
dipendere "to depend"
dissentire "to disagree"
diventare "to become"
dormire "to sleep"
durare "to last"
emigrare "to emigrate"
entrare "to enter, get in/inside"
esistere "to exist"
esitare "to waver, hesitate"
esplodere "to explode"

fallire "to fail"
finire "to be over"
fiorire "to flourish"
fischiare "to whistle"
fuggire "to flee, run away"
funzionare "to work"
gelare "to freeze"
gesticolare "to gesticulate"
giocare "to play"
godere "to enjoy"
guarire "to recover, heal"
immigrare "to immigrate"
imprecare "to swear"
indagare "to enquire"
influire "to influence"
ingrassare "to put on weight"
interferire "to interfere"
lievitare "to rise, leaven"
litigare "to argue, quarrel"
lottare "to fight"
mancare "to be lacking"
mendicare "to beg"

mentire "to lie"
morire "to die"
nascere "to be born"
nevicare "to snow"
nuotare "to swim"
occorrere "to be needed, required"
oziare "to laze around"
parere "to seem"
parlare "to talk to, speak with"
partire "to leave"
persistere "to insist on (doing something)"
piovere "to rain"
pranzare "to lunch"
protestare "to protest"
puzzare "to stink"
rabbrividire "to shiver"
ragionare "to reason"
reagire "to react"
remare "to row"
respirare "to breathe"
ridere "to laugh"
rinunciare "to renounce, give up"

riposare "to rest"
rotolare "to roll"
russare "to snore"
salire "to go up"
sanguinare "to bleed"
scampare "to survive, escape"
scendere "to go down"
sciare "to ski"
scivolare "to slip"
sedere "to sit down"
servire "to be useful/needed for"
somigliare "to be like, look like"
sorgere "to rise"
sorridere "to smile"
sospirare "to sigh"
sparire "to disappear"
sputare "to spit"
stare "to be"
starnutire "to sneeze"
strisciare "to slither"
succedere "to happen"
svenire "to faint"

telefonare "to phone"
tossire "to cough"
tramontare "to set"
transitare "to transit"
tremare "to tremble"
tuonare "to thunder"
uscire "to go out"
vagare "to roam"
venire "to come"
viaggiare "to travel"
versare "to pour"
vivere "to live"
volare "to fly"
zoppicare "to limp"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Caesar vs. the Gallic King Vercingetorix
After Caesar managed to convince the Senate to renew his consular mandate in 54 B.C.,
the Gallic king Vercingetorix gathered many powerful northern tribes around his leadership
and openly challenged the Roman rule over Gaul. He understood that Caesar was
cunningly helping the tribes, who wanted to become part of the Roman Republic, making
them pay for safety with freedom. The war between Caesar and Vercingetorix would be
long and excruciating for both parts, ending with Caesar's triumph at the battle of Alesia (54

B.C.). The accounts of the war were later organized into an organic literary work, the
famous De Bello Gallico (On the Gallic War).

LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #3
Express Your Love in Italian This
Valentine’s Day!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight
# 3
ITALIAN
1. John: Tra poco è il giorno di San Valentino.
2. Laura: Quindi?
3. John: Come festeggiate questa occasione in Italia?
4. Laura: Di solito le coppie si scambiano regali.
5. John: E cosa scrivono sui biglietti?
6. Laura: Di solito scrivono “Ti amo”.
7. John: Allora è come in America.
ENGLISH
1. John: It’s going to be Saint Valentine’s Day soon.
2. Laura: So?
3. John: How do you celebrate this occasion in Italy?
4. Laura: Couples usually exchange gifts.
5. John: And what do they write on the cards?
6. Laura: They usually write, “I love you.”
7. John: Then it’s as it is in America.
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #3 - EXPRES S YOUR LOVE I N I T ALI AN T HI S VALENT I NE’S DAY! 2
tra poco soon, shortly, in a little while adverb
San Valentino Saint Valentine noun
coppia couple, pair noun
to exchange, swap, barter,

scambiare trade verb
biglietto ticket, note, card, banknote noun
amare to love verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Tra poco finisco. Ho ricevuto delle rose per San

Valentino.
"I'll finish soon."
"I received some roses for Saint
Valentine's day."
Sono una bella coppia. Vuoi scambiare figurine?
"They are a nice couple." "Do you want to trade picture cards?"
Questo biglietto aereo è molto costoso. Ho un biglietto per te.
"This flight ticket is very expensive." "I have a card for you."
Ami il tuo ragazzo? I Giapponesi amano passare il tempo

libero nei parchi.
"Do you love your boyfriend?"
"Japanese people love spending free time
in the parks."
Amo viaggiare.
"I love traveling."
GRAMMAR
Express Your Love in Italian
Di solito scrivono "Ti amo."
They usually write, "I love you."
When it comes to love-related issues, Italian language shows its richness in expressing
different degrees of fondness. True friends often use the intransitive verb volere bene(a).
For example:
1. Io voglio bene a mio fratello.

"I love my brother."
2. Ti voglio bene.
"I love you."
However, the translation we provide above does not give justice to the true meaning of the
Italian verb volere bene, which is something in between "to love somebody" and "to be fond of
somebody."
We use the verb amare (to love), on the other hand, almost exclusively to convey the emotion
we feel for our partner, whether it is a girlfriend/boyfriend or fiancée/fiancé. Italian males
would never use it to express their affection to other men, not even to their best friends.
Females, on the other hand, occasionally use it, but only with their best girlfriend.
When Italians, both men and women, want to make the difference between acquaintances
and close friends, they employ the appellation mio caro/mia cara (my dear), or simply caro
(dear).
For example:
1. Ciao caro, cosa fai?

"Hi dear, what are you up to?"
2. Sai, mia cara, ieri ho visto John.

"You know, my dear, yesterday I saw John."
3. Carissimo, è da tanto che non ci vediamo!
"My dearest, long time no see!"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Castel Sant'Angelo
The history of Castel Sant'Angelo (which translates as "the Castle of the Holy Angel") mirrors
that of Rome in many aspects. Located in a suburban area of Rome, the massive structure
was originally built as the mausoleum of the emperor Hadrianus. In 403 B.C., the emperor
Onofrius enclosed it within the city walls as well as changed its function from that of a
historical building to a stronghold, thus making it one of the city's most important bulwarks
against invaders.
From that moment on, many notable Roman patrician families quarreled in order to take
control of the defensive military structure, as it also guaranteed social influence in the chaotic
political organization of Rome after the fall of the empire. In 1277, the Vatican acquired it in
order to use it both as a papal residence in peaceful times and as a proper castle in more
troubled periods.
The bronze angel, which the castle is named after, was made in the eighteenth century to
commemorate an ancient legend that traces back to the plague of Rome in 590 B.C. The
legend says that the plague stopped when an angel appeared above the castle and
sheathed his sword, thus symbolizing God's benevolence and forgiveness.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #4
Italian Direct Object Pronouns:
What’s Wrong with You??
CONTENTS
2 Informal Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 4
INFORMAL ITALIAN
1. Laura: Hai comprato il caffè?
2. Martina: Sì, l’ho comprato ieri.
3. Laura: Non lo trovo. Dove l’hai messo?
4. Martina: Ora lo cerco.
5. Laura: Ah, l’ho trovato!
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Did you buy coffee?
2. Martina: Yes, I bought it yesterday.
3. Laura: I can’t find it. Where did you put it?
4. Martina: I’ll look for it.
5. Laura: Ah, found it!
VOCABULARY
Italian English C lass Ge nde r
caffè coffee, espresso noun
ieri yesterday noun masculine
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #4 - I T ALI AN DI RECT OBJECT PRONOUNS : WHAT ’S WRONG WI T H YOU?? 2
trovare to find verb
dove where interrogative word
mettere to put, put on verb
comprare to buy, to purchase verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Gli Italiani bevono raramente caffè Un caffè macchiato, grazie.

freddo.
"A caffè macchiato, thank you." (Coffee
"Italian people seldom drink iced coffee." with a small amount of hot milk)
Ieri sera sono uscito con Marta. Ieri sono rimasto a casa.
"Yesterday evening, I went out with Marta." "Yesterday, I stayed at home."
Ieri siamo andati al pub. Mi hai chiamato ieri?
"Yesterday, we went to the pub." "Did you call me yesterday?"
L'ho trovato! L'ho trovato! Non trovo le chiavi.
"I've found it! I've found it!" "I can't find my keys."
Ho trovato questo portafoglio. Abbiamo trovato un cane in giardino.
"I found this wallet." "We found a dog in the yard."
Dove andiamo? Dove sei stato?
Where are we going? Where have you been?
Dove sei? Dove abiti?
Where are you? Where do you live?
Dove metto la valigia? Vorrei comprare questo anello per la
mia ragazza.
"Where shall I put the suitcase?"
"I’d like to buy this ring for my girlfriend."
Ho comprato della verdura e della carne Tu compri il pane.

per la cena di stasera.
"You buy the bread."
"I bought some vegetables and some meat
for tonight's dinner."
GRAMMAR
Italian Direct Object Pronouns

Sì, l'ho comprato ieri.
"Yes, I bought it yesterday."
Either direct object nouns or direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti) follow transitive verbs.
Direct object pronouns substitute object nouns that either we have previously mentioned, or
that we can clearly infer from the context into which they are inserted. Object nouns or
pronouns never follow intransitive verbs. There are two kinds of Italian direct object pronouns.
Today, we shall see the first kind.
Pronomi Personali Atoni: "Unstressed Direct Object Pronouns"

Non lo trovo.
"I can't find it."
This is by far the most frequently used category. We use these pronouns when we wish to
employ an object pronoun instead of a noun, but do not wish to stress it as the most important
part of the sentence.
For instance:
1. Il mio amico mangia un panino (direct object noun) al parco.
"My friend eats a sandwich at the park."
Il mio amico lo (direct object pronoun) mangia.
"My friend eats it."
2. Apro una confezione (direct object noun) di cioccolatini.

"I open a chocolate box."
La (direct object pronoun) apro.
"I open it."
Please, note that since there is no neutral gender in Italian, nouns and pronouns can only be
masculine or feminine. If you are unsure about what gender an English word belongs to in
Italian, look it up in a good (preferably monolingual) dictionary.
The following scheme presents the Italian unstressed personal pronouns, along with the
corresponding direct object and their English translation.
Pronome Subject Personal Pronome diretto Unstressed Direct

personale soggetto Pronoun atono Object Pronoun
Io I Mi Me
Tu You Ti You
Lui He Lo Him
Lei She La Her
Lui/Lei* It Lo/La It
Noi We Ci** Us
Voi You Vi You
Li (masculine), Le
Loro They (feminine) Them
*Note: Refers to the explanation above regarding the gender of nouns in Italian.
**Note: Do not mistake the direct object pronoun ci, for the adverb ci meaning, "there."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Domus Aurea or "Golden Residence"
The emperor Nero decided he would have his personal residence, the Domus Aurea (Golden
Residence), built on the ashes of a terrible fire that broke out in Rome and destroyed the
larger part of it (ten out of fourteen blocks) in 64 A.C. After years of constant work and lavish
waste of public money, the ostentatiously magnificent royal house occupied nearly the whole
center of Rome. Along with miles of rooms, corridors, and gardens, it also had a lake (the
lagus Neronis, or "Lake of Nero") described by onlookers as being "as large as the sea." A
satiric poet of that time wrote, "Rome is now just one house; if you need to find an
accommodation move to Veius (a city close to Rome), hoping this house will not stretch up to
there as well."
Nero took the oriental royal residences and the palaces of Alexander the Great as models for
his residence. He had local artists make a sculpture of him as the god of Sun that was an
incredible thirty-five meters tall. After the fall of the tyrant, angry mobs leveled the house
leaving nothing but ashes behind; the same ashes upon which Nero built the house.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #5
Direct Object Pronouns Part 2:
Sound Like Them in Italian!
CONTENTS
2 Informal Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 5
INFORMAL ITALIAN
1. Laura: Hai pagato le bollette?
2. Martina: Oddio, non le ho ancora pagate!
3. Laura: Entro quando dobbiamo pagarle?
4. Martina: Ora guardo. Entro giovedì prossimo.
5. Laura: Siamo ancora in tempo.
6. Martina: Vado domani mattina presto.
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Did you pay the bills?
2. Martina: My goodness, I still haven’t paid them!
3. Laura: By when do we have to pay them?
4. Martina: Let me see, by next Thursday.
5. Laura: We are still in time.
6. Martina: I’ll go early tomorrow morning.
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #5 - DI RECT OBJECT PRONOUNS PART 2: S OUND LI KE T HEM I N I T ALI AN! 2
bolletta bill noun
my goodness, good
oddio grief, good Heavens, interjection

my God
pagare to pay verb
entro within, by preposition
giovedì Thursday noun masculine
next, upcoming,
prossimo forthcoming adjective
SAMPLE SENTENCES
È arrivata la bolletta del gas. Oddio! Cosa ti è successo?
"The gas bill has arrived." "My God! What happened to you?"
Questa sera pago io. Quanto hai pagato quella borsa?
"This evening, I'll pay." "How much did you pay for that bag?"
Dobbiamo trovare una nuova casa entro Devo essere alla riunione entro le sette.
domani.
"I have to be at the meeting by seven."
"We have to find a new house by
tomorrow."
Giovedì ho un appuntamento con Marta. La prossima volta guido io.
"Thursday, I have a date with Marta." "Next time, I'll drive."
Prendiamo il prossimo treno.
"Let's get the next train."
GRAMMAR
Direct Object Pronouns
Oddio, non l'ho ancora pagate!
“My goodness, I still haven't paid them!”
We insert direct object pronouns right before the verb they are attached to in both simple and
compound tenses.
For example:
Italian Direct "English Direct

Italian Object Pronoun "English" Object Pronoun"
Compro una
macchina nuova di "I buy a brand-new
La compro. "I buy it."
zecca. car."
Ho venduto la mia "I sold my old

vecchia playstation. L'ho venduta. Playstation." "I sold it."
Ieri ho visto Mary e "Yesterday, I saw "Yesterday, I met

Anne. Ieri le ho viste. Mary and Anne." them."
The third person singular direct object pronouns lo (him) and la (her) drop their ending vowel
before the auxiliary avere (to have) in compound tenses and add the apostrophe. In
contemporary Italian, the remaining direct object pronouns usually keep their ending vowels,
though we may drop them to achieve stylistic poetical effects.
For instance:

Italian Object Pronoun "English" Object Pronoun"
Ho abbracciato mio "I hugged my

fratello. L'ho abbracciato. brother." "I hugged him."
"I would have "I would have

Avrei aiutato Marta. L'avrei aiutata. helped Marta." helped her."
"They looked at
Hanno osservato
L'hanno osservata their daughter for a "They looked at her
loro figlia a lungo.
a lungo. long time." for a long time."
Serena mi ama/
Serena ama me. m'ama. "Serena loves me." "Serena loves me."
Marco ha invitato Marco vi ha/v'ha "Marco invited you "Marco invited you
voi alla festa. invitato alla festa. to the party." to the party."
As shown in the examples above, when using direct object pronouns in compound tenses,
the past participle of the main verb agrees with the gender and number of the pronoun(s) we
attached it to.
In negative statements, we position the particle non before direct object pronouns.
For example:
"Negative English
Negative Italian Direct Object
Negative Italian "Negative English
Direct Object Pronoun
Statement Statement"
Pronoun Statement Statement"
Non ho aperto la "I didn't open the

porta. Non l'ho aperta. door." "I didn't open it."
Non prendo la "I don't take the

caramella. Non la prendo. candy." "I don't take it."
"I don't write the

Non scrivo la lettera. Non la scrivo. letter." "I don't write it."
When unstressed direct object pronouns refer to a verb in its infinitive form, we directly attach
them to it, obeying the following procedure:
1. Drop the ending vowel (e) of the infinitive
2. Add the unstressed object pronouns
For instance:

Italian Object Pronoun "English Object Pronoun"
È opportuno È opportuno "It's appropriate to "It's appropriate to

aspettare Carla. aspettarla. wait for Carla." wait for her."
È salutare È salutare "Eating fruit is

mangiare frutta. mangiarla. healthy." "Eating it is healthy."
Dobbiamo andare
a trovare Antonio e Dobbiamo andare "We need to go visit "We need to go visit
Luigi. a trovarli. Antonio and Luigi." them."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Fountain of the Triton
The famous fontana del Tritone (fountain of the Triton) was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII
to Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The Pope wished to decorate the square leading to his family house
palace, palazzo Barberini. The statue depicts the episode of the song, Triton in Front of the
Palace of Sun, as presented by the Roman poet Ovid. The sun, along with the roses, laurels,
and bees, was one of the most representative symbols of the Barberini family.
At the center of the fountain's basin, four dolphins hold an open shell on their heads. The
triton sits on it, blowing into a helix. A high-pitched noise rises up from it, caused by a high-
pressured water jet. The tails of the four dolphins also hold two blazons bearing Pope Urban
VIII's personal insignia.
Form an architectonical viewpoint, this fountain represents a small, but significant revolution
of the theoretical standards of the Renaissance. In fact, they were inclined to separate plastic
from fluid elements firmly, showing and marking the difference between marble and water.
Bernini decided to break this unwritten rule, combining and balancing both elements into a
coherent whole. The triton and the water jet seem to become a single visual element, merging
with the water jet into a shining flow of matter.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #6
Can Italian Direct Object Pronouns
Help You Relieve Stress?
CONTENTS
2 Informal Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight
# 6
INFORMAL ITALIAN
1. Laura: Vai tu a pagare le bollette stamattina?
2. Martina: Sì, vado all’ufficio postale prima di andare in ufficio.
3. Laura: Ah dimenticavo. Dopo il lavoro incontro John. Vuoi venire con noi?
4. Martina: Per lui va bene se vengo?
5. Laura: Cosa vuoi dire?
6. Martina: Magari sono di troppo.
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Are you going to pay the bills this morning?
2. Martina: Yes, I’ll go to the post office before going to the office.
3. Laura: Ah, I was forgetting. After work, I’m going to meet John. Want to
come with us?
4. Martina: Is it okay with him if I come?
5. Laura: What do you mean?
6. Martina: Maybe I am in the way.
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #6 - CAN I T ALI AN DI RECT OBJECT PRONOUNS HELP YOU RELI EVE S T RES S ? 2
ufficio postale post office phrase masculine
to forget, to leave
dimenticare behind verb
magari maybe adverb
essere di troppo to be in the way expression
ufficio office noun masculine
mattina morning noun feminine
SAMPLE SENTENCES
L'ufficio postale chiude alle diciassette. Ho dimenticato la sciarpa sul treno.
"The post office closes at 5:00 PM." "I forgot the scarf on the train."
Magari possiamo chiamare Anna. Siamo di troppo, andiamo via.
"Maybe we can call Anna." "We are in the way; let's go away."
Questo ufficio è molto grande. A che piano è l'ufficio del Dott. Rossi?
"This office is very big." "On what floor is the office of Doctor
Rossi?"
Il lunedì mattina il medico non visita. Ogni mattina mi sveglio alle sette e
dieci.
"On Monday morning the doctor doesn’t
examine." "Every morning, I wake up at ten past
seven."
GRAMMAR
Stressed Direct Object Pronouns
Per lui va bene se vengo?
"Is it okay with him if I come?"
In today's class, we will delve into the second category of Italian direct object pronouns,
pronomi personali tonici (stressed direct object pronouns). We use these pronouns in the
following two cases.
I. We use stressed direct object pronouns to emphasize the direct object above the
remaining part of the sentence. We normally realize this effect in English by raising the pitch
of the voice when pronouncing the pronoun. In this case, we position them right after the verb
to which they refer.
For instance:
1. Hanno scelto Mike come loro portavoce. - Hanno scelto lui come loro portavoce.
"They chose Mike as their spokesman." - "They chose him as their spokesman."
2. Desiderano invitare me e te. - Desiderano invitare noi.

"They wish to invite me and you." - "They wish to invite us."
3. Ho trovato solo Renato. - Ho trovato solo lui.

"I only found Renato." - "I only found him."
II. We also use stressed direct object pronouns after any preposition. Grammatically speaking,
in this case the pronouns are not direct objects.
For example:
1. Vuoi uscire con Andrea? - Vuoi uscire con lui?

"Do you want to date Andrea?" - "Do you want to date him?"
2. Per te e Arnaldo non è importante. - Per voi non è importante.

"It's not important to you and Arnaldo." - "It's not important to you."
3. Hai veramente parlato con Sara? - Hai veramente parlato con lei?
"Did you really talk to Sara?" - "Did you really talk to her?"
The following scheme presents the Italian stressed personal pronouns, along with the
corresponding direct object and their English translation.
Pronome "Subject Personal Pronome diretto "Stressed

personale soggetto Pronoun" tonico Pronoun"
Io "I" me "me"
Tu "you" te "you"
Lui "he" lui "him"
Lei "she" lei "her"
Lui/Lei* "it" lui/lei "it"
Noi "we" noi "us"
Voi "you" voi "you"
Loro "they" loro "them"
*Note: Refer to the explanation in the previous lesson regarding the gender of nouns in
Italian.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Traianus
Traianus was the last great Roman General-emperor. He fought against the German tribes,
defeated the Parthian empire, and conquered Armenia, Syria, and Mesopotamia. However,
his greatest feat was the annexation of Dacia in a long and demanding campaign that lasted
five years (101-106 A.C.). After having conquered the recalcitrant region, the Roman legions
remained there for many years, exterminating those tribes who refused to abide by the
Roman rule.
In order to leave an everlasting memory of the deeds he accomplished, he decided to erect a
celebratory column, la colonna di Traiano, whose carvings would depict the most important
events that occurred during his reign. Needless to say, the war against the Dacians occupies
a large part of it. The celebratory purpose of the column combines a realistic account of facts.
It depicts the Roman emperor as a great general, who personally leads his troops into battle
and attends to ritual religious sacrifices. However, it represents the Dacians as a proud and
honorable enemy, led by their great hero Decebalus. Differently from other celebratory
monuments, the column of Traianus tells the story of two great leaders, whose destiny was
decided by fate alone. The respect shown to the Dacians is proof of the just character of one
the greatest Roman emperors. The column itself is almost forty meters tall.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #7
Indirect Object Pronouns: Can You
Teach Me to Speak Italian?
CONTENTS
2 Informal Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight
# 7
INFORMAL ITALIAN
1. John: Mi insegni a parlare nel tuo dialetto?
2. Laura: Vuoi davvero imparare il milanese?
3. John: Sì, deve essere interessante.
4. Laura: Hai chiesto a Martina? Il suo dialetto è molto colorito.
5. John: Mi ha detto che non ha tempo.
6. Laura: Allora ti insegno il milanese.
ENGLISH
1. John: Can you teach me to speak in your dialect?
2. Laura: You really want to learn Milanese?
3. John: Yes, it has to be interesting.
4. Laura: Have you asked Martina? Her dialect is very colorful.
5. John: She told me she doesn’t have time.
6. Laura: Then I’ll teach you Milanese.
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #7 - I NDI RECT OBJECT PRONOUNS : CAN YOU T EACH ME T O S PEAK I T ALI AN? 2
colorito colored, colorful, rosy adjective
insegnare to teach verb
parlare to talk, speak verb
possessive adjective,
tuo your, yours pronoun
imparare to learn verb
possessive adjective,
suo his, her, hers, its pronoun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Hai un trucco molto colorito. Ti insegno qualche parola nuova.
"You have a very colorful makeup." "I'll teach you some new words."
Insegno italiano a studenti stranieri. Non mi parli più?
"I teach Italian to foreign students." "You're not speaking to me anymore?"
Tu parli troppo, Marco. Come sta tua nonna.
"You speak too much, Marco." "How is your grandma doing?"
Qual'è il tuo nome? Cosa fa tuo padre?
"What is your name?" "What does your father do?"
Il merito è tuo. Giorno per giorno, Samuele impara cose

nuove.
"The credit is yours."
"Day by day Sam learns new things."
Cosa hai imparato oggi? Suo padre si chiama Piero.
"What did you learn today?" "Her father's name is Piero."
GRAMMAR
Indirect Object Pronouns
Allora ti insegno il milanese.
"Then I'll teach you Milanese."
The pronomi personali oggetto indiretto substitute Italian nouns we normally introduce with
the prepositions per (for, to) and a (to). In previous lessons, we saw that the pronomi
personali tonici (stressed direct object pronouns) substitute nouns after any Italian
preposition. The pronomi personali oggetto indiretto entirely substitute both the stressed
direct object and its preceding preposition.
For instance:
1. Noun:
Abbiamo insegnato a Mario e Luisa (indirect object nouns) come usare internet.
"We taught Mario and Luisa how to use the Internet."
Stressed Direct Object Pronouns:
Abbiamo insegnato a lui e lei come usare internet.
"We taught him and her how to use the Internet."
Indirect Object Pronouns:
Abbiamo insegnato loro come usare internet.
"We taught them how to use the Internet."
This kind of pronoun answers the question "for whom/what" or "to whom/what?" Please, note
that we usually attach the prepositions per and a to verbs that either do not require a direct
object or need an indirect object in addition to it.
For example:
1. Scrivo una lettera a Sara. -- Le scrivo una lettera.

"I write a letter to Sara." -- "I write her a letter."
2. Ho regalato un nuovo computer a voi. -- Vi ho regalato un nuovo computer.

"I gave a new computer to you." -- "I gave you a new computer."
3. Hai mandato il pacco a Luca? -- Gli hai mandato il pacco?

"Have you sent the package to Luca?" -- "Have you sent him the package?"
The following scheme presents the Italian stressed personal pronouns, along with the
corresponding indirect object and their English translation.
Pronome "Subject Personal Pronomi personali "Indirect Object

personale soggetto Pronoun" oggetto indiretto Pronouns"
Io "I" mi "(to) me"
Tu "you" ti "(to) you"
Lui "he" gli "(to) him"
Lei "she" le "(to) her"
Lui/Lei* "it" gli/le "(to) it"
Noi "we" ci** "(to) us"
Voi "you" vi "(to) you"
Loro "they" loro (gli) "(to) them"
*Refers to the explanation in previous lessons regarding the gender of nouns in Italian.
**Do not mistake ci as a direct object pronoun, for ci as the adverb meaning, "there."
We realize the third person plural indirect object pronoun as loro in formal Italian and gli in
informal Italian. Regarding written language, we should always use loro.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Arch of Constantine
The largest Roman triumphal arch in existence, l'arco di Costantino (the Arch of Constantine)
is located between the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus. The Arch of Constantine was built to
celebrate the triumph of Constantine over the rival emperor Maxentius after the battle of
Milvian Bridge.
The emperor Constantine is renowned for having officially stopped the persecutions against
the Christians, thus establishing freedom of religion in the whole empire. He deeply reformed
many aspects of Roman life. He introduced a new currency, and he reorganized the structure
of command of his legions as well as the taxation system of Roman provinces.
However, even though he is sometimes presented as an enlightened and benevolent leader

(especially by Christian historiography), his actions were far from spotless. He had both his
wife and son killed due to succession rivalries. His attitude toward defeated enemies was one
of a ruthless killer.
The emperor Constantine reigned during a difficult period of civil wars, uprisings, and
secessionist movements. He managed to keep the empire together through both diplomatic
skills and sheer violence.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #8
Indirect Object Pronouns: What Can You
Tell Them in Italian?
CONTENTS
Dialogue - Informal Italian

Main
English
Vocabulary
Sample sentences
Grammar
Cultural insight
# 8
ITALIANPOD101.COM NEWBIE S2 #8 1
DIALOGUE - INFORMAL ITALIAN
MAIN
1. Laura : Cosa gli hai detto?
2. John : Ho detto loro come raggiungere la stazione.
3. Laura : Di dove sono?
4. John : Sono canadesi.
5. Laura : Dove vanno?
6. John : Vanno a Roma.
7. Laura : Ascoltarti parlare in inglese è divertente!
ENGLISH
1. Laura : What did you tell them?
2. John : I told them how to reach the station.
3. Laura : Where are they from?
4. John : They are Canadians.
5. Laura : Where are they going to?
6. John : They are going to Rome.
7. Laura : Listening to you speak in English is fun!
VOCABULARY
Italian English Class
loro they, them object pronoun
raggiungere to reach, to achieve, to contact, to arrive, to join verb
stazione station noun
canadese Canadian adjective, noun
inglese English adjective, noun
divertente funny, fun, amusing adjective
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Chiedi loro cosa vogliono mangiare. Sono loro!
"Ask them what they want to eat." "It's them!"
La squadra ha raggiunto la finale di pallavolo. Gli altri ci raggiungono dopo cena.
"The team has reached the volleyball final." "The others are joining us after dinner."
La squadra ha raggiunto la finale di pallavolo. La stazione degli autobus è in Piazza Colombo.
"The team has reached the volleyball final." "The bus station is in Colombo Square."
Lui è canadese. Puoi tradurre per me dall'inglese al cinese?
"He is Canadian." Can you translate from English to Chinese for

me?
Il signor Suzuki insegna inglese. Parli inglese?
Mr. Suzuki teaches English. "Do you speak English?"
Penso che il film fosse veramente divertente. Gli spettacoli di Crozza sono sempre divertenti.
"I think that the movie was really fun." "Crozza’s shows are always entertaining."
Il film che abbiamo visto ieri sera è stato davvero È divertente giocare a calcio.
divertente.
"It's fun to play soccer."
"The movie we saw last night was really funny."
GRAMMAR
Indirect Object Pronouns
Cosa gli hai detto?
"What did you tell them?"
The syntax of Italian Indirect object pronouns works as follows:
First: Except in the case of loro, we position them before the verb in both simple and compound tenses.
Note that, unlike direct object pronouns, in compound tenses the past participle of the main verb never
agrees with the gender and number of indirect object pronouns.
Second: When referring to infinitives, gerunds, and imperatives, we attach the pronouns directly to
them, obeying the following procedure:
1. Drop the ending vowel (e) of the infinitive

2. Add the unstressed object pronouns
For instance:
1. Noun:
Telefonando a Elena hai fatto la cosa giusta.
"By calling Elena, you did the right thing."
Indirect Object Pronoun:
Telefonandole hai fatto la cosa giusta.
"By calling her, you did the right thing."
Third: When used with the modal verbs dovere (must, to have to), potere (can, may), and volere (to
want), we can either attach the indirect object pronouns to the following infinitive or they may precede
the modal verb. This rule applies to both simple and compound tenses.
For instance:
1. Noun:
Ho voluto consegnare a Federico l'assegno.
"I wanted to deliver the check to Federico."
Indirect Object Pronoun:
Ho voluto consegnargli l'assegno.
"I wanted to deliver the check to him."
OR
Gli ho voluto consegnare l'assegno.
"I wanted to deliver him the check."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Fountain of Turtles
The fontana delle tartarughe (Fountain of Turtles) lies in the beautiful piazzetta Mattei (Mattei Square).
Its unforgettable sight suddenly comes into view when approaching the square from one of the many
romantic alleys that surrounds it. This is doubtlessly one of the most gracious Florentine-style fountains
in Rome.
Giacomo dalla Porta designed the fountain itself, whereas the Tuscan artist Taddeo Landini created the
four bronze statues. Four well-shaped ephebi push the turtles up, as if to make them drink pure water
that sprays from the water jet above. It seemed that in the first project, the ephebi should have held
four dolphins instead of turtles, but at the end, the artist resorted to using a less obvious symbol of
water. Since the dolphins had already been sculpted, they were put into the first version of the fontana
della Terrina (fountain of Terrina) in Campo de' Fiori.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #9
Combine Tenses: I Was Shopping
in Milan When You Called!
CONTENTS
2 Informal Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
4 Cultural Insight
# 9
INFORMAL ITALIAN
1. Laura: Ieri ha nevicato!
2. John: Sì, ho visto.
3. Laura: Mentre andavo in ufficio ho scattato delle foto ai tetti.
4. John: Perché ai tetti?
5. Laura: Sono belli quando sono coperti di neve.
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Yesterday, it snowed!
2. John: Yes, I saw.
3. Laura: While I was going to the office, I took some pictures of rooftops.
4. John: Why rooftops?
5. Laura: They are pretty when they are covered in snow.
VOCABULARY
foto photo, picture noun
nevicare to snow verb
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #9 - COMBI NE T ENS ES : I WAS S HOPPI NG I N MI LAN WHEN YOU CALLED! 2
scattare una foto to take a picture phrase
neve snow noun feminine
to cover, screen,
coprire blanket verb
tetto roof, rooftop noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
È una bella foto. Posso scattare una foto?
"It's a beautiful picture." "Can I take a picture?"
Domani dovrebbe nevicare. Mi può scattare una foto.
"It should snow tomorrow." "Can you take a picture?"
Giochiamo nella neve? Fa freddo, copriti!
"Let's play in the snow." "It's cold; cover yourself!"
C'è un gatto sul tetto.
"There's a cat on the roof."
GRAMMAR
Combining Passato Prossimo and Imperfetto Tenses

Mentre andavo in ufficio ho scattato delle foto ai tetti.
"While I was going to the office, I took some pictures of rooftops."
The tense agreement between passato prossimo and imperfetto tense is essential to
comprehend how to convey past occurrences in formal narrations. We have already
introduced the main features of both tenses in previous classes. In today's class, we will see
how to combine them correctly.
We use the passato prossimo tense to express definite actions, which we can insert into a
precise, definite temporal context.
We use the imperfetto tense to describe any element of the narration that provides additional
information to the main actions.
Within the aforementioned limits, their employment depends on the will of the speaker to
stress particular actions over the rest of the sentence. The speaker can freely interchange
them in certain circumstances.
For instance:
1. Ieri nevicava. (imperfetto)

"Yesterday, it snowed."
2. Ieri ha nevicato. (passato prossimo)

"Yesterday, it snowed."
Grammatically speaking, both sentences are correct. However, in the first sentence the
speaker casually illustrates an event that occurred, whereas in the second he/she wishes to
point out that it did snow yesterday.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Last Great Emperor of the Roman Empire: Marcus Aurelius
Many historians consider the emperor philosopher, Marcus Aurelius, to be the last great
emperor of the Roman Empire. Marcus Aurelius was a highly educated person, aware of his
duty towards the state. He always sought to unite the many different political senatorial parties
because he believed, "the universe is like a city; we were born to help each other, similar to
feet, hands, and eyelids."
Despite his high morality and beliefs, he had to face one of the worst barbaric invasions that
threatened to destroy the empire. He personally led the Roman legions against the invaders,
pushing them back many times and fighting unceasingly for over twenty-five years.
The Colonna di Marco Aurelio (Column of Marcus Aurelius) was erected after his death and
depicts only the most important episodes (mostly victories against the Marcomanni and
Sarmatians tribes) of his life. The carvings do not follow a strict chronological order and
represent the emperor as a divinity. This aspect differs greatly from the column of Traianus,
where the great emperor is depicted as a courageous, as well as merciful and sympathetic,
leader.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #10
While I was Shopping in Milan, I
Lost my Credit Cards!
CONTENTS
2 Informal Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 10
INFORMAL ITALIAN
1. John: Ieri sera nevicava molto forte e mentre tornavo a casa sono
scivolato!
2. Laura: Ti sei fatto male?
3. John: No, ma ero molto imbarazzato.
4. Laura: Perché?
5. John: Dei bambini mi guardavano e ridevano.
ENGLISH
1. John: Yesterday evening it was snowing very heavily and while I was
going back home I slipped!
2. Laura: Did you hurt yourself?
3. John: No, but I was very embarrassed.
4. Laura: Why?
5. John: Some children were looking at me and laughing.
VOCABULARY
strong, powerful, loud,

forte tough, heavy, severe adjective
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #10 - WHI LE I WAS S HOPPI NG I N MI LAN, I LOS T MY CREDI T CARDS ! 2
mentre while, whilst conjunction
to go back, to come back, to

tornare get back verb
scivolare to slide, slip, glide verb
imbarazzare to embarrass verb
farsi male to hurt oneself verbal expression
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Jack è un uomo forte e gioca in una Tuo padre è molto forte.

squadra di rugby.
"Your father is very strong."
"Jack is a strong man and he plays in a
rugby team."
Guarda avanti mentre cammini. Ascolto musica mentre viaggio in treno.
"Look in front of you while you're walking." "I listen to music while I travel by train."
Mentre tornavo ho incontrato Matteo. Luca torna da scuola verso l’una.
"I met Matteo while I was going back." "Luke comes back from school about one
p.m."
Ieri sono tornato a casa tardi. Vorrei tornare a S. Gimignano.
"Yesterday I got back home late." "I would like to go back to S. Gimignano."
Mario è scivolato mentre correva. La ragazza era imbarazzata.
"Mario slipped while he was running." "The girl was embarrassed."
Mi sono fatto male correndo.
"I hurt myself while running."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson is Combining the Italian passato prossimo and imperfetto
Tenses
Ieri sera nevicava molto forte e mentre tornavo a casa sono scivolato!
"Yesterday evening it was snowing very heavily and while I was going back home I
slipped!"
In order to better illustrate the passato prossimo and imperfetto tense agreement, consider the
following short story.
Ieri stava piovendo. Mentre guardavo la televisione è suonato il telefono. Stavo andando a
rispondere e sono caduto a terra. Stavo per rialzarmi quando il telefono ha smesso di
suonare. La stanza era fredda e scura. Io ero un po' nervoso a causa del tempo. Quando ero
giovane guardavo la pioggia, mi faceva pensare al futuro come infinite gocce di possibilità.
Ora pensavo alla mia famiglia e sorridevo.
"Yesterday, it was raining. While I was watching the TV, the phone rang. I was going to
answer (the call), and I fell on the floor. I was about to stand up when the phone stopped
ringing. The room was cold and dark. I was a bit nervous due to the weather. When I was
young, I used to look at rain. It made me think about the future as infinite drops of possibilities.
Now, I thought about my family and smiled."
The Imperfetto Tense
The short story above presents the main contexts in which to use the imperfetto tense.
I. We use the imperfetto tense to describe the traits of the environment, situations, or animate
and inanimate beings in a narration.
For example:
1. Ieri stava piovendo.

"Yesterday, it was raining."
2. La stanza era fredda e scura.

"The room was dark and cold."
II. We can use the imperfetto to express past, ongoing actions before they were interrupted.
The conjunction mentre ("while") often precedes these actions and we can also conjugate
them in the passato progressivo (past progressive) tense.
For instance:
1. Mentre guardavo (imperfetto) la televisione...

"While I was watching the TV..." OR
2. Mentre stavo guardando (passato progressivo) la televisione...

"While I was watching the TV..."
III. Another use of the imperfetto tense is to describe the character of individuals in the past.
For example:
1. Io ero un po' nervoso a causa del tempo.

"I was a bit nervous due to the weather."
IV. We can use the imperfetto tense to describe repetitions, recurrent actions, and past habits.
For example:
1. Quando ero giovane mi piaceva guardare (past habit and repetition) la pioggia.
"When I was young, I liked looking at the rain."
2. ...mi faceva pensare (recurrent action) al futuro come...

"...it made me think about the future as..."
V. One more way we will discuss in which we can use the imperfetto tense is to express two
or more contemporary actions in the past.
1. Ora pensavo alla mia famiglia e sorridevo.

"Now, I thought about my family and smiled."
The Passato Prossimo Tense
We employ the passato prossimo tense to express the main actions of the narration, which
take place at a particular time.
For example:
1. ...è suonato il telefono.

"...the phone rang."
2. ...sono caduto a terra.

"...I fell on the floor."
3. ...il telefono ha smesso di suonare.

"...the phone stopped ringing."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Parco del Pincio
The parco del Pincio (Pincio park) was the first walkway created in Rome. It was specifically
aimed to provide its inhabitants with a green public area. It was built between 1810 and 1818
on the Pincio hill, an area that splendid villas belonging to the finest Roman aristocracy
occupied during the Roman rule. The Roman architect and archeologist Giuseppe Valadier
(1762-1839) designed the park.
After having passed by the Casina Valdier (which nowadays hosts a famous restaurant), we
see a large square, piazzale Napoleone I, that leads to the terrazza del Pincio (Pincio
terrace). From there, people can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of Rome, especially
during nighttime. Quite curiously, the park hosts over two hundred marble busts of eminent
Italians of the past. The Italian state originally commissioned these sculptures to help Roman
artists find a job after the 1848 revolution. However, the undertaking also served a less
altruistic purpose. Creating a public space to show the protagonists of the recently founded
Italian state would help giving it intellectual credibility, as well as giving Italians some heroic
lives to imitate and admire.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #11
What a Difference One Letter
Makes – Italian Simple
Prepositions
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 11
ITALIAN
1. Laura: Che cosa vuoi fare questa sera?
2. John: Possiamo andare al cinema.
3. Laura: Ci sto! Ma non voglio fare troppo tardi.
4. John: L’ultimo spettacolo finisce alle ventitré e quarantacinque. Va bene?
5. Laura: È un po’ tardi. A che ora finisce quello prima?
6. John: Finisce alle ventidue e trenta.
7. Laura: OK! Non vedo l’ora!
ENGLISH
1. Laura: What do you want to do tonight?
2. John: We can go to the movies.
3. Laura: I’m in! But I don’t want to be too late.
4. John: The last show ends at eleven forty-five. Is that okay?
5. Laura: It’s a little late. At what time does the previous one end?
6. John: It ends at ten thirty.
7. Laura: Okay! I can’t wait!
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #11 - WHAT A DI FFERENCE ONE LET T ER MAKES – I T ALI AN S I MPLE PREPOS I T I ONS 2
cinema cinema, movie theater noun
troppo too much adverb and adjective
tardi late adverb
ultimo last, latest, farthest, final adjective
spettacolo show, performance, sight noun
finire to finish, end, stop verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Mia cugina va al cinema ogni fine Domenica vado al cinema.

settimana.
"I am going to the movie theater on
"My cousin goes to the cinema every Sunday."
weekend."
Vorrei una birra ma non troppo fredda. Non dovresti bere troppo vino.
"I’d like a beer but not too cold." "You shouldn’t drink too much wine."
Ho bevuto troppo. Arrivi sempre tardi in ufficio.
"I drank too much." "You always arrive late at the office."
Ieri notte sono tornato tardi. Scusa, ho fatto tardi.
"Last night I came back late." "Sorry, I'm late."
Questa è l'ultima volta. L’ultimo treno per Ravenna è alle venti e

quaranta.
"This is the last time."
"The last train for Ravenna is at eight forty."
Lo spettacolo di ieri sera è stato molto Goditi lo spettacolo!
bello.
"Enjoy the show!"
"Yesterday's show was very nice."
Hai finito i compiti? Non finisci mai di sorprendermi!
"Did you finish your homework?" "You never cease to amaze me!"
Finisco subito.
"I will finish right away."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson is Italian Prepositions

L'ultimo spettacolo finisce alle ventitré e quarantacinque.
"The last show ends at eleven forty-five."
Although the translation of prepositions might seem simple at a first glance, we cannot
translated them as independent elements. Italian prepositions depend on both the verb we
use them with and the meaning of the following object.
Italian prepositions comprise four main categories.
First- preposizioni semplici ("simple prepositions")
Second- preposizioni articolate ("compound prepositions")
Third- preposizioni improprie ("improper prepositions")
Fourth- locuzioni preposizionali ("prepositional phrases")
Today we will start work on the preposizioni semplici ("simple prepositions").
Observe the following:
di; a; da; in; con; su; per; tra; fra
Use the simple preposition, a, in the following cases.
I. Before indirect objects - In this case, it translates as "to."
For example:
Italian "English"
Ho dato lo zaino a Luca. "I gave the schoolbag to Luca."
Avete prestato a Maria la vostra macchina? "Did you lend your car to Maria?"
Abbiamo scritto a John. "We wrote to John."
II. When expressing time, place the preposition before the hours. In this case, it combines with
the plural feminine definite article le, becoming the compound preposition alle. Don't create
the compound preposition when you are referring to mezzogiorno ("noon"), mezzanotte
("midnight") and una ("one"). When referring to time, a translates as "at."
For example:
Italian "English"
Ci vediamo alle cinque e mezza. "I'll see you at 5:30 PM."
Lo spettacolo termina a mezzanotte/

mezzogiorno. "The show ends at midnight/noon."
Loro di solito pranzano all'una in punto. "They usually have lunch at one o'clock."
III. Before complementi di luogo (places or locations to which the action is directed). In this
case, the preposition a translates differently according to the verb we use it with.
For example:
Italian "English"
Andiamo a casa. "We go home."
Il treno è arrivato a New York. "The train arrived in New York."
"You have to go straight ahead and then

Devi andare dritto e poi girare a destra. turn right."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Columns of San Lorenzo (Le colonne di San Lorenzo)
The colonne di San Lorenzo ("Columns of San Lorenzo") represent one of the few remaining
Roman structures in Milan, along with the amphitheater ruins and the herculean thermal
baths of the circus.
They consist of sixteen marble columns adorned with Corinthian capitals, which used to hold
the roof of an ancient Roman building, probably the large thermal baths built by the will of the
emperor Maximianus. The columns have a particular significance to the inhabitants of Milan,
since they are evidence of the ancient Mediolanum, a city that resisted for at least two
millennia against terrible events such as invasions, world wars, and the often inattentive city
planning of the inhabitants.
The colonne di San Lorenzo are a particularly popular meeting place among the young
people of the city. Nowadays, the Columns of San Lorenzo are partially closed, a decision
taken by the city authorities in order to protect them from possible mishaps. Despite this
decision, the neighborhood remains one of the most fashionable meeting places for Milan
nightlife.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #12
Travel in Italy Could Be Hard
Without This…Unless You Come by
Horse!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 12
ITALIAN
1. John: Andiamo in macchina?
2. Laura: No a piedi! Certo che andiamo in macchina!
3. John: Ah. Pensavo di andare a cavallo.
4. Laura: Sei proprio simpatico.
5. John: Altrimenti potremmo andare in Vespa.
6. Laura: Preferisco la macchina.
ENGLISH
1. John: Shall we go by car?
2. Laura: No, on foot! Of course, we’re going by car!
3. John: Ah. I thought we could go on horseback.
4. Laura: You’re really funny.
5. John: Otherwise we could go by Vespa.
6. Laura: I prefer the car.
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #12 - T RAVEL I N I T ALY COULD BE HARD WI T HOUT T HI S …UNLES S YOU COME BY HORS E! 2
a piedi on foot, by foot adverb
proprio really, actually adverb
a cavallo on horseback, by horse adverb
simpatico nice, funny, likeable adjective
altrimenti otherwise adverb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Mercoledì vado in ufficio a piedi. Oggi sono proprio contenta.
"Wednesday, I am going to the office by "Today, I'm really happy."

foot."
Sei proprio sicuro? Non ti capisco proprio.
"Are you really sure?" "I really don't understand you."
Non sono mai andato a cavallo. Il tuo amico è molto simpatico.
"I've never been horseback riding." "Your friend is very nice."
Mi piace tenermi occupato altrimenti mi Ricordami dell'appuntamento, altrimenti

annoio. mi dimentico.
"I like to get busy; otherwise, I get bored." "Remind me about the appointment;
otherwise, I'll forget."
Devo andare, altrimenti arriverò tardi al lavoro.
"I have to go; otherwise, I'll be late for work."
GRAMMAR
Andiamo in macchina?
"Shall we go by car?"
Today we are going to continue with the study of the preposizioni semplici, or "simple
prepositions."
Use the preposition in, in the following circumstances.
I. Before any means of transportation, except for a cavallo ("on horseback") and a piedi ("on
foot").
For example:
1. Loro sono andati a Chicago in macchina.

"They went to Chicago by car."
2. Il centro città dista trenta minuti in autobus.

"The city center is thirty minutes away by bus."
3. L'anfiteatro può essere raggiunto solo a piedi.

"The amphitheater can be reached only on foot."
II. Before complementi di luogo, places or locations to which the action is directed. Similar to
the preposition a, the preposition in, translates differently according to the verb with which you
use it.
For instance:
1. Sono in banca
"I'm at the bank."
2. Andate in Sicilia per le vacanze?

"Are you going to Sicily for your vacation?"
3. Milano si trova in Lombardia.
"Milan is in Lombardy." (Lombardy is a region of Italy.)
For complementi di luogo, choosing between a and in might seem difficult at first. Admittedly,
mistaking one these prepositions for the other does not normally affect the overall result of the
conversation (i.e., it's a minor mistake.) The following guidelines show you the category of
noun related to specific prepositions.
We use the preposition a before cities, specific places, or generic places modified by
adjectives.
For example:
1. Marta e Luisa vivono a Roma.

"Marta and Luisa live in Rome."
2. Siamo andati al (a+il) Colosseo.

"We went to the Colosseum."
3. Eliana studia alla (a+la) biblioteca vicina l'Università.

"Eliana studies at the library close to the University."
We use the preposition in before regions, countries, continents, and generic places
(unmodified by adjectives).
For instance:
1. Pompei si trova in Campania.

"Pompei is in Camapania."
2. Francesco vive in Asia da dieci anni.

"Francesco has been living in Asia for ten years."
3. Gianluca si trasferirà in Australia.

"Gianluca will be moving to Australia."
4. Mio padre è in ospedale.

"My father is at the hospital."
Please, note that the guidelines above are general. The best way to learn how to choose
between in and a is to learn them as part of the verb with which you use them.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Roman Amphitheater of Milan (Teatro romano di Milano)
The teatro romano di Milano ("Roman amphitheater of Milan") was built close to Porta
Ticinese, Ticinese Gate, during the second and third century A.D. The city of Milan (in Latin,
Mediolanum), was an important political and business center within the Roman Empire. The
social and political decline of Milan started around the fifth century, contemporaneous with
the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
The amphitheater was abandoned due to religious and practical reasons; the recently
established Christian religion considered human fights between gladiators an unnecessary
violence that disregarded the principle of preserving human life, which it wanted to protect. In
addition, getting wild animals for the venations ("animal hunting contest"), had, by that time,
become particularly difficult.
A barbaric invasion destroyed the amphitheater. Scholars haven't been able to identify
precisely which one, though it seems likely the arena was razed sometime around the fifth or
sixth century. A nearby museum, Antiquarium Alda Levi, holds artifacts from excavations of
the amphitheater's ruins.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #13
Everyone's Talking About This in
Italian…Can You?!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
2 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
3 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight
# 13
ITALIAN
1. John: Io voglio vedere un film d’azione.
2. Laura: D’azione? No, io voglio vedere un film d’amore.
3. John: I film d’amore sono così noiosi!
4. Laura: Cosa ne dici dell’ultimo film di Clint Eastwood?
5. John: Vuoi dire il film intitolato “Gran Torino”?
6. Laura: Sì quello.
7. John: Okay, va bene.
ENGLISH
1. John: I want to see an action movie.
2. Laura: Action? No. I want to see a romance movie.
3. John: Romance movies are so boring!
4. Laura: What about Clint Eastwood’s latest movie?
5. John: You mean the movie entitled “Gran Torino?”
6. Laura: Yes, that one.
7. John: Okay, it’s fine.
VOCABULARY
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #13 - EVERYONE'S T ALKI NG ABOUT T HI S I N I T ALI AN…CAN YOU?! 2
di of, some, by, from, about preposition
azione action noun
amore love noun
noioso boring, tiresome, dull adjective
intitolare entitle, title, dedicate verb
quello that adjective
SAMPLE SENTENCES
La penna è di Luca. Di dove sei?
"It's Luca's pen." "Where are you from?"
Mio cugino guarda solo film d'azione. Ho trovato l'amore.
"My cousin watches only action movies." "I've found love."
L'amore è cieco. Questo talk show è troppo noioso!
"Love is blind." "This talk show is too boring!"
Questo programma televisivo è noioso. Il libro è intitolato "Come imparare

l'Italiano in una settimana".
"This TV program is boring."
"The book is entitled 'How to Learn Italian
in One Week'."
Andiamo a vedere quello spettacolo? Quello costa un euro.
"Shall we go see that show?" "That costs one euro."
GRAMMAR
Cosa ne dici dell'ultimo film di Clint Eastwood?
"What about Clint Eastwood's latest movie?"
Today we are going to continue with the study of the preposizioni semplici, simple
prepositions.
Because there are quite a few ways to use the preposition di, we shall divide this topic into
two lessons.
We use the preposition di in three ways.
I. To express topics of conversations or writings.
For example:
1. Ad Anna piace sempre parlare di moda.

"Anna always likes talking about fashion."
2. Questo libro tratta di chimica.

"This book deals with Chemistry."
3. Abbiamo discusso di politica per alcune ore.

"We talked about politics for a couple of hours."
II. To express one's birthplace.
For instance:
1. Marco è di Venezia.
"Marco is from Venice."
2. Paola è di Verona.
"Paola is from Verona."
3. Mario e Lucia sono di Napoli.
"Mario and Lucia are from Naples."
III. To express possession or ownership of something when using nouns. Note that this rule
does not apply to pronouns.
For instance:
1. Questa casa è di mia sorella.

"This is my sister's house."
2. La penna è di Federico.
"This is Federico's pen."
3. L'orologio è di Dario.
"The is Dario's watch." but
4. Quella macchina è mia.

"That car is mine."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Lido of Milan (Il Lido di Milano)
The Lido of Milan is a large area located in the western part of the city, precisely in front of
Piazzale Lotto. The Lido is devoted to recreational activities, especially sports. The project
started around the middle twenties, when the city inhabitants felt the need to have an
extensive area dedicated exclusively to sport and leisure activities, a sort of città dello sport
("sports city") with suitable facilities. The "city within the city" was built near the San Siro
hippodrome.
The engineer, Cesare Marescotti, planned the Lido on behalf of the Società anonima del
Luna Park Lido di Milano, Milan anonymous society of Lido amusement park. He planned
many irregular-shaped swimming pools, fairs, and other entertainment facilities.
The Lido was inaugurated on 5 July 1931. However, its multi-functional purpose was initially
not very appreciated. The city of Milan then decided to purchase the Lido from the private
company, and the city started a renovation aimed to make it a pure sporting center. That idea
proved to be successful and by the middle of the thirties, the residents made the Lido one of
the most popular places in Milan.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #14
Italian Simple Prepositions: Will Hitting
You With the Phone Help You?
CONTENTS
Dialogue - Italian
Main
English
Vocabulary
Sample sentences
Grammar
Cultural insight
# 14
DIALOGUE - ITALIAN
MAIN
1. John : È incredibile il traffico di stasera!
2. Laura : Veramente! Siamo partiti da un'ora da casa mia.
3. John : Ma siamo ancora molto lontani dal cinema.
4. Laura : Speriamo di farcela, altrimenti dove andiamo?
5. John : Al massimo andiamo da Martina, cosa ne dici?
6. Laura : Sì, per me va bene.
7. John : OK, va bene dai, dalle un colpo di telefono.
ENGLISH
1. John : Tonight's traffic is incredible!
2. Laura : Really! We left my place an hour ago.
3. John : But we're still far from the cinema.
4. Laura : I hope we can make it, otherwise where should we go?
5. John : At most, we could go to Martina's place, what do you think?
6. Laura : Yes, that's okay for me.
7. John : Okay, fine, please give her a ring then.
VOCABULARY
Italian English Class Gender
traffico traffic noun masculine
lontano far, distant adjective
simile similar, alike adjective
vedere to look, to watch, to see verb
altrimenti otherwise adverb
colpo blow, shot, knock, hit noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES

Oggi c'è molto traffico sull'autostrada. C'è sempre traffico in centro.
"Today, there’s a lot of traffic on the highway." "There is always traffic downtown."
Voglio andare lontano da qui. Sono lontano da casa.
"I want to go far from here." "I'm far from home."
Paolo e Andrea sono sempre insieme: hanno un Le grandi menti pensano in modo simile.
carattere molto simile.
"Great minds think alike."
"Paolo and Andrea are always together: they
have a similar personality."
Oh, vedo mia madre. Andiamo a vedere una gara di sci.
"Oh, I'm seeing my mother." "Let’s go watch a ski competition."
Hai visto quel film? Hai visto il mio cellulare?
"Have you seen that movie?" "Have you seen my cell phone?"
Altrimenti, potrebbe essere meglio non Mi piace tenermi occupato altrimenti mi annoio.
incoraggiarlo troppo.
"I like to get busy; otherwise, I get bored."
"Otherwise, it might be better not to encourage
him too much."
Ricordami dell'appuntamento, altrimenti mi Devo andare, altrimenti arriverò tardi al lavoro.

dimentico.
"I have to go; otherwise, I'll be late for work."
"Remind me about the appointment; otherwise,
I'll forget."
Il colpo lo ha buttato a terra.
"The blow knocked him down."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Italian Preposition da.
Ma siamo ancora molto lontani dal cinema.
"But we're still far from the cinema."
We use the simple preposition da as follows:
1) When associated with verbs related to movement, to express provenance. For example:

Italian "English Translation"
Siamo partiti da Milano ieri sera. "We left from Milan yesterday evening."
Lucia è tornata da Roma. "Lucia came back from Rome."
Sono uscito dal negozio cinque minuti fa. "I got out from the store five minutes ago."
2) To express the amount of time that has passed since the beginning of an action. Please note that in
this case, in English, we would employ the progressive tenses ending in "-ing."
For instance:
Studio chitarra da sei anni. "I've been studying guitar for six years."
Vivo a Milano da due mesi. "I've been living in Milan for two months."
Stai parlando da due ore! "You've been talking for two hours."
3) In passive sentences, we use da to express the agent, that is the person/object the action is
performed by.
For example:
Questo tavolo è stato realizzato da mio padre. (literally) "This table was realized by my father."
Lo studio è fatto da famosi economisti. (literally) "The survey is done by eminent economists."
La macchina fotografica è stata presa da Piero. (literally) "The camera was taken by Piero."
4) When preceding proper names or pronouns, da indicates the place, the location where the action is
performed, and to which the following noun/pronoun refers.
For example:
Ci vediamo da me alle sei? "Shall we meet at my place at six?"
Sono andato da Mario per studiare assieme. "I went to Mario's place to study together."
Ho dimenticato le chiavi da te. "I forgot the keys at your place."
5) In certain comparisons and similarities, da expresses the likeness or kindred nature of the term of
comparison. Note that these expressions don't always translate literally in English.
For example:
Non è da te avere così paura. "It doesn't suit you to be so fearful."
Questo mouse funziona anche da chiavetta usb. "This mouse also works as a flash drive."
I tuoi compagni non hanno reagito da veri amici. "Your fellows didn't act like true friends."

CULTURAL INSIGHT
Who is ready to speak against someone else must be faultless.
Carere debet omni vitio qui in alterum dicere paratus est

Deve essere privo di ogni colpa chi è pronto a parlare contro un altro.
"Who is ready to speak against someone else must be faultless."
Scior Carera ("Mr. Carera") is the folk nickname the inhabitants of Milan have given to an ancient Roman
sculpture. The statue is alternatively called Omm de preja (uomo di pietra, "stone man"), even though it's
made of marble. It depicts a male character dressed in a rich Roman toga, without arms and with a knee
slightly raised toward the direction of viewers. The head was probably added during the middle ages,
following a restorative philosophy based on integrating missing parts through the individual
interpretation of the artist's style. Until recent times, political dissidents used the statue to leave
anonymous messages and satiric poems against the dominant power, thus following a long-established
Italian tradition of using a particular statue to become the voice of people: the uncontrollable,
spontaneous democratic seed present in any political entity. Its importance in performing this role is
equal to that of the so-called Pasquino in Rome.

LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #15
This Simple Italian Word Can Really
Take You Places!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight
# 15
ITALIAN
1. John: Laura, ti ricordi il numero di Martina?
2. Laura: Sì, dovrei averlo sulla rubrica del telefonino. A proposito, hai visto il
mio cellulare?
3. John: Sì, è lì sul cruscotto della macchina.
4. Laura: Ah già, grazie.
5. John: Con questo traffico ci metteremo molto tempo per arrivare da

Martina.
6. Laura: Su col morale dai, andremo al cinema insieme un'altra volta!
7. John: Va bene, va bene.
ENGLISH
1. John: Laura, do you remember Martina's number?
2. Laura: Yes, I should have it in my mobile's address book. By the way, did
you see my cell phone?
3. John: Yeah, it's on the car's dashboard.
4. Laura: Oh, right! Thank you.
5. John: With this traffic, it'll take us a lot of time to go to Martina's place.
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #15 - T HI S S I MPLE I T ALI AN WORD CAN REALLY T AKE YOU PLACES ! 2
6. Laura: Come on, keep your spirits up, we'll go to movies together soon!
7. John: All right, all right.
VOCABULARY
to remember, to not
ricordare forget, to recall verb
numero number noun
rubrica address book noun
telefono telephone noun masculine
dashboard,
cruscotto instrument panel noun
morale moral, spirits, mood noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Non mi ricordo cosa ho mangiato ieri. Ricordati di fare i compiti.
"I don't remember what I ate yesterday." "Don't forget to do your homework."
Qual è il numero di targa della tua Ecco il mio numero.

macchina?
"Here's my number."
"What’s the number plate of your car?"
Passami la rubrica. Il telefono sta squillando.
"Hand me the address book." "The telephone is ringing."
Il telefono non funziona. Il cruscotto della macchina è nero.
"The telephone isn't working." "The car's dashboard is black."
Ieri ero giù di morale.
"Yesterday, I was low in spirits."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Italian Preposition su.

Su col morale dai, andremo al cinema insieme un'altra volta!
"Come on, keep your spirits up, we'll go to movies together soon!"
You should use the preposition su as follows:
1) To indicate the topic of a sentence. Note that in this case, the preposition almost always
combines with the definite article preceding the noun.
For example:
Ho scritto diversi articoli sulla (i.e., su + la) "I wrote a good deal of articles about
politica internazionale. international politics."
Hanno letto un libro sulla (i.e., su + la) vita

di JFK. "They read a book on JFK's life."
La riunione verterà sui (i.e., su + i) nuovi "The meeting will be focused on new
progetti. projects."
2) To express the position of objects placed on something. Similar to the first case, su
attaches to the definite article preceding the following nouns.
For instance:
La penna è sul (i.e., su + il) tavolo. "The pen is on the table."
La maglia è sulla (i.e., su + la) lavatrice. "The sweater is on the washing machine."
Il cellulare è sul (i.e., su + il) libro. "The cellular phone is on the book."
Please note that in this situation, you may substitute the preposizione semplice su with the
equivalent preposition sopra + the definite article (preceding the noun).
For example:
I piatti sono sopra il tavolo. "The dishes are on the table."
Il (computer) portatile era sopra alla

scrivania. "The laptop was on the desk."
La sveglia è sopra al comodino. "The alarm clock is on the bedside table."
3) In informal Italian, you can use su to express indefinite or rough quantities. You can convey
the same meaning in formal Italian with the synonym circa ("about," "nearly," "approximately").
For example:
La giacca costa sui (i.e. su + i) cento euro. "The jacket costs around a hundred euros."
Federico è un uomo sui (i.e. su + i)

quarant'anni. "Federico is a man in his forties."
Ci vorranno sui cinque giorni per finire il "It'll take approximately five days to
lavoro. complete the job."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Rondanini Pietà (La Pietà Rondanini)
Michelangelo's Rondanini Pietà is deemed to be the artist's last, unfinished masterpiece

before his death. It's presently held at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan.
In 1561, Michelangelo himself presented Antonio del Francese with this stunning gift. In 1774,
the Rondanini family bought the statue, from which it took its current name. In the last part of
his life, Michelangelo was obsessed by religious themes. He sculpted two, perhaps even
three sculptures of Pietà ("piety," "compassion") he wanted to place on his own tomb. Since
Michelangelo held his works to be below the sky-high standards he set for himself, he did not
want to complete any of them. The Rondanini Pietà is the trio's most intense and passionate:
the slender form of Jesus Christ seems to be fading into the arms and breast of his mother,
Mary. She holds her son almost effortlessly, as if he were a weightless, ethereal being.
You can see the Rondanini Pietà at the following link:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Michelangelo_pietà_rondanini.jpg.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #16
Are You Between a Rock and a Hard
Place in Italy?
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 16
ITALIAN
1. Laura: Spegni la radio dai, che chiamo Martina.
2. John: Ok, dille che saremo lì fra circa quaranta minuti.
3. Laura: Va bene.
4. Laura: (al telefono) Ciao Martina! Sì, stasera pensavamo di andare al

cinema ma tra poco inizia lo spettacolo e non faremo in tempo per il
traffico.
5. Martina: (al telefono) Allora venite da me che tra poco ci sarà una festa in
pigiama!
6. Laura: (al telefono) Grazie Martina, saremo lì tra circa quaranta minuti!
7. Martina: (al telefono) OK, vi aspetto ragazzi, ciao!
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Come on; turn off the radio. I'll call Martina.
2. John: Okay, tell her we'll be there in about forty minutes.
3. Laura: Fine.
4. Laura: (on the phone) Hi Martina! Yes, tonight we were thinking of going to
the movies but the show starts shortly and we won't make it in time
because of the traffic.
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #16 - ARE YOU BET WEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE I N I T ALY? 2
5. Martina: (on the phone) Then come to my place, there will be a pajama party
soon!
6. Laura: (on the phone) Thanks Martina! We'll be there in about forty minutes!
7. Martina: (on the phone) Okay, I'll be waiting for you guys, bye!
VOCABULARY
pigiama pyjamas/pajamas noun
radio radio noun feminine
quaranta forty cardinal number
minuti minutes noun
festa feast, holiday, party noun
aspettare to wait noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Voglio comprare un pigiama. Ascoltiamo la radio.
"I want to buy a pajama." "Let's listen to the radio."
Ho comprato una nuova radio. Ascolti la radio?
"I bought a new radio." "Do you listen to the radio?"
Possiamo pagare la macchina in Ho quaranta anni.
quaranta rate!
"I am forty years old."
"We can pay for the car in forty
installments!"
Questo palazzo ha quaranta piani. Dammi cinque minuti.
"This building has forty stories." "Give me five minutes."
Questa festa è proprio noiosa! Benvenuti alla mia festa di compleanno.
"This party is really boring!" "Welcome to my birthday party."
Facciamo una festa? Aspettami!
"Shall we have a party?" "Wait for me!"
Aspetta un attimo! Ho aspettato fino all'una, ma non è

venuto.
"Wait a moment!"
"I waited until one, but he didn't show up."
Sono in ritardo, mi aspetti?
"I'm late; would you wait for me?"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Italian Prepositions tra and fra.
Allora venite da me che tra poco ci sarà una festa in pigiama!
"Then come to my place, there will be a pajama party soon!"
The prepositions tra and fra are utterly equivalent to each other and thus you can freely
interchange them.
You can use them in the following circumstances:
1) To express the amount of time that elapses before an action takes place in the future. For
example:
Inizierò a lavorare tra tre giorni. "I'll start working in three days."
Lo spettacolo comincia fra cinque minuti. "The show starts in five minutes."
Ci vediamo tra un quarto d'ora. "I'll see you in fifteen minutes."
2) To express the position, both in proper and figurative sense, of something/someone

between two other terms. For instance:
"The church is between the square and the

La chiesa si trova fra la piazza e il parco. park."
C'è del risentimento tra loro. "There's a harsh feeling between them."
L'anfiteatro si trova fra Via Mazzini e il "The amphitheatre lies between Via
comune. Mazzini and the City Hall."
3) When talking about groups, you can use it to single out some members or parts.
For example:
"I'm the only one among us that speaks

Sono l'unica tra noi che parla tedesco. German."
"He was the only guy at the party, as it goes

Era il solo ragazzo della festa, come si dice in Italian: (lit.) "'Lucky fellow among
in italiano: "Beato tra le donne." women.'"
Ci sono tre ragazze tra loro che vogliono "There are three girls among them who
studiare italiano. want to study Italian."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Parco Sempione
Parco Sempione ("Sempione Park") is an expansive green area located in the very center of
Milan. It was constructed as part of a larger project, the renovation of Castello Sforzesco. Its
present name traces back to 1906, specifically to the inauguration of the Sempione tunnel.
That tunnel was the main entrance gate to the city for those who came from the north, in
particular Swiss travelers.
The architect Emilio Alemagna planned the park according to the British romantic model of
the "perfect" garden, strongly influenced by the "picturesque" aesthetic canon. Paths and
gardens follow irregular patterns and are connected to each other by small lakes, naturalistic
canals, and a splendid entry bridge. Since its inauguration, the park has always been the
most popular recreational meeting place for the inhabitants of Milan. This role is matched only
by its artistic significance; it hosts many world-famous permanent exhibitions, such as La
Triennale, Palazzo d'Arte, and Acquario civico di Milano (Milan's Aquarium). The park has
also hosted plenty of temporary expos, of which the International Exhibition in 1906 is
certainly the most important.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #17
What Do You Do With a Man in
Polka Dot Pajamas?
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
5 Cultural Insight
# 17
ITALIAN
1. Laura: Ciao Martina! Grazie per stasera, con quel traffico non saremmo
mai arrivati in tempo.
2. Martina: Di niente ragazzi, unitevi al party con noi!
3. Laura: Wow, sembra divertente!
4. John: Ma non abbiamo i pigiama con noi, purtroppo.
5. Martina: Non vi preoccupate e prendete qualcosa da bere!
6. Laura: Ma…quello non è Paolo?
7. Martina: Ah, sì, era qui con noi che vi aspettava!
ENGLISH
1. Laura: Hi Martina! Thanks for tonight; with that traffic, we would have never
made it in time.
2. Martina: Don't mention it guys, and join us for the party!
3. Laura: Wow, this looks fun!
4. John: But sadly, we don't have pajamas with us.
5. Martina: Don't worry and grab something to drink!
6. Laura: But...isn't it Paolo over there?
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #17 - WHAT DO YOU DO WI T H A MAN I N POLKA DOT PAJAMAS ? 2
7. Martina: Oh, yes, he was with us, waiting for you!
VOCABULARY
stasera tonight noun
arrivare to arrive, to come verb
tempo time, weather, tense noun
divertente funny, fun, amusing adjective
purtroppo unfortunately adverb
preoccuparsi to worry verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Ci vediamo stasera per cena! Stasera usciamo?
"See you tonight for dinner!" "Shall we go out tonight?"
Possiamo uscire insieme stasera? Stasera usciamo?
"Can we go out together tonight?" "Shall we go out tonight?"
Siamo arrivati a Roma. Sono arrivati i vicini.
"We've arrived in Rome." "The neighbors have arrived."
Arrivo! Oggi è bel tempo.
"I'm coming!" "Today, the weather is good."
Scusami, non ho tempo per aiutarti. Gli spettacoli di Crozza sono sempre
divertenti.
"Sorry, I have no time to help you."
"Crozza’s shows are always entertaining."
È divertente giocare a calcio. Il film che abbiamo visto ieri sera è stato
davvero divertente.
"It's fun to play soccer."
"The movie we saw last night was really
funny."
Purtroppo ho dimenticato le chiavi a Purtroppo il concerto è già finito.

casa.
"Unfortunately, the concert finished
"Unfortunately, I forgot the keys at home." already."
Se ti preoccupi non dormi bene. Non ti preoccupare, non facciamo tardi.
"If you worry, you won't sleep well." "Don't worry, we won't be late."
Non ti preoccupare!
"Don't worry!"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Italian Preposition con.

Di niente ragazzi, unitevi al party con noi!
"Don't mention it guys, and join us for the party!"
You can use the preposition con as follows:
1) To express the person with whom the subject performs an action. It answers the question
"with whom?"
For instance:
Ho giocato con Elena. "I played with Elena."
Siamo andati in Italia con Mike. "We went to Italy with Mike."
Vuoi studiare con me? "Do you want to study with me?"
2) To express the way in which the main action is done. It answers the question "how?"
For instance:
(literally) "You worked with extreme care."

Hai lavorato con estrema cura. "You worked carefully."
(literally) "I study Italian with dedication."

Studio l'italiano con impegno. "I study Italian diligently."
(literally) "This book is written with little

effort."
Questo libro è scritto con poco impegno.
"This book is badly written."
3) It conveys specific traits, both real and figurative, of objects.
For example:
Ho visto una moto con su due persone. "I saw a motorbike with two people on it."
Mi piacciono i pantaloni con le righe rosse. "I like the red striped pants."
Avete venduto la macchina con il portasci? "Have you sold the car with the ski rack?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
A Legend of Parco Sempione
A legend from Milan says that the phantom of a lady dressed in black, whose face is hidden
by either a leather mask or a night-black veil, depending on the version, haunts Parco
Sempione (Sempione Park). According to the legend, the lady appears surrounded by a
violet perfume, takes the park's visitors by their right arm, and leads them through the alleys to
a magnificent villa that they otherwise could not access or see.
The villa's rooms are draped in black, including a fine-looking tester (canopy) bed, where the
lady would spend a night of passion with her temporary lovers. After sating her lust, the lady
would take the lovers back to the place where she first met them. Those who try to go back to
the villa are incapable of finding any path leading to it or any other trace that could suggest
the presence of such a place. The legend also says that a few courageous, foolhardy lovers
tried to uncover the true identity of the black lady, unveiling her face only to find an ancient
skull under the precious clothing.
In fact, this legend does not seem to differ much from similar legends of other countries, but it
is an integral part of Milan's urban legends.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #18
If You Thought Your Italian Polka
Dot Lover Only Had Eyes for You…
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
3 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 18
ITALIAN
1. John: Ciao Paolo! Come va?
2. Paolo: Bene, grazie.
3. John: Martina ci ha detto che ci stavi aspettando.
4. Paolo: Sì, vi ho aspettato per mezz'ora circa, volevo chiederti un consiglio

su una cosa.
5. John: Dimmi pure!
6. Paolo: Stasera parto per Roma, per lavoro, e volevo dirlo a Martina.
7. John: Cosa, per lavoro? E quando tornerai?
8. Paolo: Starò a Roma per circa un mese. Ma volevo chiederti. Tu ti intendi

di dichiarazioni d'amore?
9. John: Eh? Per Martina??
ENGLISH
1. John: Hi Paolo! How is it going?
2. Paolo: Fine, thank you.
3. John: Martina told us you were waiting for us.
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #18 - I F YOU T HOUGHT YOUR I T ALI AN POLKA DOT LOVER ONLY HAD EYES FOR YOU… 2
4. Paolo: Yes, I've been waiting for you for about half an hour, I wanted to ask
you a piece of advice about something.
5. John: Tell me, what's the matter?
6. Paolo: I will leave tonight for Rome, for work, and I wanted to tell it to
Martina.
7. John: What, for work? And when will you be back?
8. Paolo: I will be in Rome for about a month. But I wanted to ask you—are
you familiar with declarations of love?
9. John: Eh? For Martina??
VOCABULARY
chiedere to ask verb
consiglio advice noun
partire to leave, to start, to take off verb
to go back, to come back, to

tornare get back verb
statement, declaration,
dichiarazione allegation noun
cosa thing, matter noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Chiedi a mamma le chiavi di casa. Chiediamo del pane?
"Ask mom for the key to the house." "Shall we ask for some bread?"
Ho chiesto una bambola. Posso chiederti una cosa?
"I asked for a doll." "Can I ask you something?"
Hai chiesto? Un consiglio importante.
"Did you ask?" "An important advice."
Segui il mio consiglio. Domani partirò per Milano.
"Follow my advice." "I'll leave for Milan tomorrow."
Sono partito alle sei del mattino. Domani parto per Roma.
"I left at six o'clock a.m." "Tomorrow, I am leaving for Rome."
Luca torna da scuola verso l’una. Ieri sono tornato a casa tardi.
"Luke comes back from school about one "Yesterday I got back home late."
p.m."
Vorrei tornare a S. Gimignano. Questa è la Dichiarazione

d'Indipendenza.
"I would like to go back to S. Gimignano."
"This is the Declaration of Independence."
Fa la cosa giusta.
"Do the right thing."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Italian Simple Preposition per.

Stasera Parto per Roma, per lavoro, e volevo dirlo a Martina.
"I will leave tonight for Rome, for work, and I wanted to tell it to Martina."
You can use the preposition per as follows:
1) To express movement, both real and figurative, that occurs through something.
For example:
Siamo passati per la via più corta. "We took the shortest route."
"We walk through the square."

Camminiamo per la piazza.
La sua mente vagò per molte vie. "His mind wandered through many paths."
2) To express the passing of time.
For instance:
"I have been thinking about you for several

Ti ho pensato per molte settimane. weeks."
"We'll have to work for several days."

Bisognerà lavorare per molti giorni.
Vi hanno aspettato per pochi minuti. "They waited for you a few minutes."
3) The destination the subject is leaving for; Italians particularly use it with the verb partire ("to
leave").
For instance:
Parto per Napoli. "I'm leaving for Naples."
Hai comprato il biglietto per Venezia? "Have you bought the ticket to Venice?"
L'aereo è partito per la Francia. "The airplane left for France."
4) The end, aim, or purpose that explains why someone does something.
For example:
Mi sono sposato per amore. "I got married for love."
L'ha detto per scherzare. "He was joking."
Non l'hai fatto per me. "You didn't do it for me."
5) The cause or reason why something happened.
For example:
Il frullatore si è rotto per sfortuna. "The blender broke down due to bad luck."
Per mancanza di sensibilità, hai detto "You have been rude due to a lack of
qualcosa di maleducato. sensitivity."
"I open the window to let fresh air come

Apro la finestra per fare entrare aria fresca. inside."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Teatro Piccolo of Milan
The Teatro Piccolo of Milan was the first Italian permanent theatre. Two important artists
founded the theatre: the director and playwright Giorgio Strehler, and the actor Paolo Grassi.
In 1991, the theatre became the teatro d'Europa ("European Theatre").
Since its inaugural play, Gorkij's Albergo dei poveri ("Hotel of the Poor"), the theatre has
aimed to become a reference point for every person interested in theatre, regardless of social,
economic, and cultural differences. Its repertoire has always included international and Italian
plays, thus attracting experimental artists and directors. The idea of the theatre as a general,
collective experimental entity has gradually replaced the view of theatre as an event focused
on "the great actor." Actors view the theatrical space as a sort of "laboratory," a training space
where they can develop many different skills under the guiding role of Strehler and Grassi.
The theatre has slowly become a model for other rising Italian and European theatres to
emulate.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #19
How Far Will You Go for Love in
Italy?
CONTENTS
2 Italian
3 English
4 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
5 Grammar
7 Cultural Insight
# 19
ITALIAN
1. John: Ehi Paolo! Sei riuscito a pensare a qualcosa per la dichiarazione?
2. Paolo: Ho comprato questi.
3. John: Wow! Palloncini a forma di cuore, sarà una serata speciale.
4. Paolo: Sì, voglio riempire quella stanza, portarla lì e farle la dichiarazione.
5. John: Bellissima idea! Ah, Paolo, c'è la madre di Martina, presentati.
6. Paolo: (si avvicina) Piacere signora. Io sono Paolo, come sta?
7. Maria: Molto piacere Paolo. Da dove vieni?
8. Paolo: Io sono nato a Modena, ora vivo e lavoro a Bologna.
9. Maria: Divertitevi stasera, mi raccomando!
10. Paolo: Grazie signora, arrivederci. (si allontana, parla a John) Ehi, mi aiuti
a gonfiarli?
11. John: Certo, ti aiuto io.
12. Paolo: Grazie, dai entriamo e mettiamoci al lavoro.
13. (dopo circa un'ora)
14. John: (ansimando) Uff! Paolo, ma quanti ne hai comprati?
15. Paolo: Circa duecento. Siamo quasi a metà.
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #19 - HOW FAR WI LL YOU GO FOR LOVE I N I T ALY? 2
16. John: Eh??
ENGLISH
1. John: Hey Paolo! Did you manage to think about something for the
declaration?
2. Paolo: I bought these.
3. John: Wow. Heart-shaped balloons, it will be a special night.
4. Paolo: Yes, I want to fill that room, take her there, and then declare myself
to her.
5. John: Beautiful idea! Oh, Paolo, there's Martina's mother, introduce

yourself to her.
6. Paolo: (gets closer) Nice to meet you. I'm Paolo, how do you do?
7. Maria: Nice to meet you, Paolo. Where are you from?
8. Paolo: I was born in Modena, now I live and work in Bologna.
9. Maria: Please have fun tonight!
10. Paolo: Thanks, goodbye. (moves away, talks to John) Hey. Will you help
me blow them up?
11. John: Sure, I'll help you.
CONT'D OVER
12. Paolo: Thanks! Come on, let's go inside and let's get to work.
13. (about an hour later)
14. John: (panting) Uff! Paolo, how many did you buy?
15. Paolo: Around two hundred. We are almost halfway through.
16. John: Eh??
VOCABULARY
qualcosa something indefinite pronoun
riuscire to succeed, manage, be able verb
serata evening noun
speciale special adjective
palloncino balloon noun
cuore heart noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Vorrei mangiare qualcosa di dolce. Hai qualcosa da mangiare?
"I'd like to eat something sweet." "Do you have something to eat?"
Non riesco a concentrarmi. Che bella serata!
"I am not able to concentrate." "What a lovely evening."
È stata una serata indimenticabile. Oggi e’ un giorno speciale per tutti noi.
"It's been an unforgettable evening." "Today it is a special day for all of us."
È un'offerta speciale. Ho comprato tre palloncini colorati.
"It's a special offer." "I bought three colored balloons."
Sto gonfiando un palloncino. Hai un cuore d'oro.
"I'm blowing up a balloon." "You have a golden heart."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is Italian Formal and Informal Forms of Greetings. In Addition,
We Will Review Three Frequently Used Verbs.
Io sono nato a Modena, ora vivo e lavoro a Bologna.
"I was born in Modena, now I live and work in Bologna."
We can divide the Italian forms of greetings into two different categories, according to the kind
of speech we wish to employ.
In informal and colloquial Italian, ciao is the most common form of greeting, and Italians use it
as both "hi" and "goodbye." There are other similar forms of greetings that we may employ
with our acquaintances. For instance, in the dialogue above, John says Ehi Paolo..., thus
implying a good degree of familiarity with his interlocutor. Please note that we may use the
expressions ciao and ehi together.
The following samples of informal greetings show a typical informal Italian conversation.
Italian "English"
Ciao Mario, come stai? "Hi Mario, how are you doing?"
Ehi Luca, è tanto tempo che non ti vedo! "Hey Luca, long time no see!"
Ehi Antonio, ciao! (literally) "Hey, Antonio, hi!"
The forms of greeting in formal and standard Italian equal their English counterparts. The
most frequently used are: buongiorno/buon giorno ("good morning"), buonpomeriggio/buon
pomeriggio ("good afternoon"), and buonasera/buona sera ("good evening"). Note that we
may freely employ both the aforementioned forms, although in formal written language we
tend to use the variant of two separated words.
When taking our leave, in formal Italian we use arrivederci or arrivederla (both meaning
"farewell"), as Paolo does with Martina's mother. Please note that arrivederla is slightly more
formal than arrivederci.
Although these forms of greetings translate literally in English, the employment of some of
them is slightly different from their English equivalents.
Italians often use buongiorno at any time of the day between dawn and dusk, whereas they
employ buonasera during the evening and at night.
In addition, Italians exclusively use buonanotte ("good night"), meaning "have a good night's
sleep," before going to bed.
In the dialogue above, Paolo replies to Maria's question saying Io sono nato a Modena, ora
vivo e lavoro a Bologna. Maria uses the verb venire ("to be from"), which is always followed
by the preposition da.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Io vengo da Milano. "I'm from Milan."
Noi veniamo dall'Italia. "I'm from Italy."
Loro vengono dalla Francia. "They are from France."
Paolo did not reply using the verb Maria provides. He instead says where he was born, as
well as where he lives and works, a reply that is perfectly acceptable in Italian. The verbs
nascere ("to be born"), vivere ("to live"), and lavorare ("to work") are always followed by the
preposition a.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Sono nato in Italia. "I was born in Italy."
Vivono a Torino. "They live in Turin."
Lavoro a New York. "I work in New York."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Palazzo Ca Pesaro
Palazzo Ca Pesaro ("Ca Pesaro Palace") is in one of the most beautiful and skillfully
constructed ancient palaces of Venice. Nowadays, it hosts the Galleria internazionale d'arte
moderna ("International Gallery of Modern Art") and a prominent Museo d'arte Orientale
("Museum of Oriental Art," located on the palace's third floor).
The architect, Baldassare Longhena, planned the palace in the mid-sixteenth century;
however, the building was still unfinished upon his death in 1682. His colleague, Gian
Antonio Gaspari, completed the work in 1710, closely respecting Longhena's original project.
The Galleria internazionale d'arte moderna has been, especially in the twentieth century, the
most important center for avant-garde and anti-academic artistic movements. It became a sort
of intellectual workshop for artists, critics, and that part of the general public that didn't agree
with the main policy of the other important center of contemporary art in Venice, the Biennale.
If you wish to know more about this must-see museum, please visit the following website:
http://www.arteorientale.org/sito/home.html
(An English version of the website is available.)
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #20
Are You Too Excited to Count in
Italian?
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
7 Cultural Insight
# 20
ITALIAN
1. John: (ansimando) Ehi Paolo, come va coi palloncini, quanti te ne

mancano?
2. Paolo: Ne ho ancora venti da gonfiare.
3. John: Io sono quasi alla fine.
4. Paolo: Bravo, grazie.
5. John: Niente, non ti preoccupare. Ma forse ho fatto troppo in fretta.
6. Paolo: Tutto ok?
7. John: Mi gira solo un pò la testa. Sono venticinque anni ma mi sento

come se ne avessi settanta.
8. Paolo: Vuoi dire "ho venticinque anni", non "sono".
9. Johhn: Ah si, scusami! Ho venticinque anni.
10. Paolo: Se ti gira la testa puoi rallentare, tanto abbiamo tempo.
11. John: Ok allora.
12. Paolo: Sì, vai fuori e prendi un pò d'aria.
ENGLISH
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #20 - ARE YOU T OO EXCI T ED T O COUNT I N I T ALI AN? 2
1. John: (panting) Hey Paolo, how is it going with the balloons, how many do
you have left?
2. Paolo: I still have twenty to blow up.
3. John: I'm almost done.
4. Paolo: Good, thank you.
5. John: Nothing, never mind. But maybe I did it too fast.
6. Paolo: Is everything okay?
7. John: I feel a bit dizzy. I have twenty-five years old, but I feel as if I were
seventy.
8. Paolo: You mean "I am twenty-five," not "I have."
9. John: Oh, yes, sorry! I am twenty-five years old.
10. Paolo: If you feel dizzy, you can slow down. We have time.
11. John: Okay then.
12. Paolo: Yes, go out and get some air.
VOCABULARY
mancare to be lacking, missing verb
fine end noun
preoccuparsi to worry verb
fretta rush, hurry noun
testa head noun feminine
to turn, go around,
girare circle, wander verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Mi manchi. Alla fine abbiamo optato per il modello

più nuovo.
"I miss you."
"In the end we chose the newest model."
Se ti preoccupi non dormi bene. Non ti preoccupare, non facciamo tardi.
"If you worry, you won't sleep well." "Don't worry, we won't be late."
Non ti preoccupare! Che fretta c'è?
"Don't worry!" "What's the hurry?"
Lucia ha sbattuto la testa. Ieri ho girato per la città.
"Lucia has banged her head." "Yesterday, I went around the city."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on Italian Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers.

Mi gira solo un pò la testa. Sono venticinque anni ma mi sento come se ne avessi
settanta.
"I feel a bit dizzy. I have twenty-five years old, but I feel as if I were seventy."
When expressing age in Italian, we use the verb avere ("to have"), whereas in English, we
use essere ("to be").
For Example:
Italian "English"
Io ho venti anni. "I'm twenty years old."
Noi abbiamo trent'anni. "We are thirty years old."
Loro hanno quindici anni. "They are fifteen years old."
Note that in the second sample sentence, the cardinal number trenta ("thirty") drops its ending
vowel a because it is followed by the word anni (literally, "years"), which starts with the same
vowel. You should employ this written custom whenever a cardinal number that ends with the
vowel a is followed by the word anni. This happens only with the following cardinal numbers:
1. trenta ("thirty")
2. quaranta ("forty")
3. cinquanta ("fifty")
4. sessanta ("sixty")
5. settanta ("seventy")
6. ottanta ("eighty")
7. novanta ("ninety")
Please note that the rule also applies when we use these numbers in compounds, such as
centotrenta ("one hundred thirty"), centoquaranta ("one hundred forty"), centocinquanta ("one
hundred fifty"), and so forth.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Luigi ha quarant'anni. "Luigi is forty years old."
Loredana ha appena compiuto

cinquant'anni. "Loredana just turned fifty."
"The war ended one hundred fifty years

La guerra terminò centocinquant'anni fa. ago."
Contrary to English, when expressing time in Italian, we use the cardinal numbers rather than
the ordinal. In addition, we always write the first letter of a month's name in lower case.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Oggi è il cinque maggio. (literally) "Today is five May."

(meaning) "Today is May the fifth."
(literally) "Lessons will start twenty October."

Le lezioni inizieranno il venti ottobre. (meaning) "Lessons will start on October
the twentieth."
(literally) "I'll see you on twenty-six

December."
Ci vediamo il ventisei dicembre.
(meaning) "I'll see you on December the
twenty-sixth."
Apart from the difference in usage illustrated above, Italian ordinal numbers work exactly as
their English counterparts. This means we use them to indicate a position within a given
order, even when the limits of that order are not stated.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Il vostro posto è nella quinta fila. "Your seat is in the fifth row."
Questa è la terza volta che ti dico di pulire "This is the third time I've told you to clean
la tua camera! your room!"
Guardate la seconda imagine partendo dal "Take a look at the second picture, starting
basso. from the bottom."
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Palazzo Ducale
The Palazzo Ducale of Venice was most likely the most important building in the whole city.
Originally built as a fortified stronghold, it was subsequently renovated repeatedly to take a
more elegant and less military shape throughout the Middle Ages.
The name of the palace entrance gate, Porta della Carta (literally, "Gate of the Paper"),
derives from the ancient habit of posting up laws, decrees, and in general, all official state
documents whose interest was deemed to be of public domain. Giovanni and Bartolomeo
Bon built the gate in 1442. Its gothic style is richly adorned with sculptures portraying many
different images, including representations of cardinal virtues, the patron saint of the city ("St.
Mark"), and the image of Justice holding a sword and a scale.
Among its many important pieces of art, Palazzo Ducale boasts the stunning Scala dei Giganti
("The Steps of Giants"), which takes its name from two colossal statues of Mars and Neptune,
symbols of the Republic's military prowess and supremacy over the seas, respectively. The
steps were also the place where the ritual of the doge election used to take place.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #21
Can You Figure It Out in Italian?
CONTENTS
2 Italian
3 English
4 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
5 Grammar
7 Cultural Insight
# 21
ITALIAN
1. Paolo: Finito!
2. John: È stata un'impresa ma ce l'abbiamo fatta!
3. Paolo: Grazie John! Ora devo solo andare a chiamare Martina nell'altra
stanza.
4. John: Ok dai, vai!
5. Paolo: Sono nervoso…come faccio?
6. John: Vai semplicemente di là e la chiami!
7. Paolo: Ma non saprei cosa dirle…dammi un'idea.
8. John: Invitala a bere qualcosa e con una scusa la porti qui.
9. Paolo: Hai ragione, farò così.
10. (Paolo esce)
11. Paolo: Ehi Martina…ti va di bere qualcosa?
12. Martina: Ah, grazie Paolo, ma come vedi sto già bevendo questa birra.
13. (Paolo torna da John)
14. Paolo: Non funziona! Aveva già da bere! Come posso fare ora?
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #21 - CAN YOU FI GURE I T OUT I N I T ALI AN? 2
15. John: Dille che vuoi farle sentire una canzone che sicuramente le
piacerà, e invitala qui.
16. Paolo: Ok, ora provo. Tu non fare entrare nessuno mi raccomando!
ENGLISH
1. Paolo: Finished!
2. John: It was a struggle, but we made it!
3. Paolo: Thanks, John! Now I only have to go call Martina in the other room.
4. John: Okay, then go!
5. Paolo: I'm nervous…how can I do it?
6. John: Simply go there and call her!
7. Paolo: But I wouldn't know what to say...give me an idea.
8. John: Invite her to drink something and then bring her here with an
excuse.
9. Paolo: You're right. I'll do so.
10. (Paolo goes out)
11. Paolo: Hey Martina...do you want to drink something?
CONT'D OVER
12. Martina: Ah, thanks, Paolo, but as you can see, I'm already drinking this beer.
13. (Paolo goes back to John)
14. Paolo: It doesn't work! She already has a drink! What can I do now?
15. John: Tell her you want to make her listen to a song that she will surely
like and invite her here.
16. Paolo: Okay, I will try now. Please don't let anyone enter in this room!
VOCABULARY
impresa exploit, struggle noun
chiamare to call verb
stanza room noun
nervous, edgy, bad-

nervoso tempered adjective
semplicemente simply adverb
idea idea, thought noun
SAMPLE SENTENCES
È stata un'impresa. Hai chiamato tuo fratello?
"It was a struggle." "Did you call your brother?"
Chiamami più tardi. Questa è la mia stanza.
"Call me later." "This is my room."
Sono sempre molto nervosa prima di un È sempre nervoso.
esame.
"He is always nervous."
"I'm always very nervous before an exam."
Lui è semplicemente il migliore. Che idea brillante!
"He's simply the best." "What a brilliant idea!"
Hai avuto un'ottima idea!
"You had a great idea!"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is Some of the Most Frequently Used Idiomatic Expressions
With the Verb Andare ("to go").
Ora devo solo andare a chiamare Martina nell'altra stanza.
"Now I only have to go call Martina in the other room."
The usage of the Italian irregular verb andare ("to go") is similar to that of its English
equivalent.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Vado a casa. "I'm going home."
Andiamo al cinema. "We go to the cinema."
Vanno al ristorante. "They go to the restaurant."
In addition, we also use the verb andare in various idiomatic expressions, such as the one
Paolo uses when he asks Martina ti va di bere qualcosa? ("Would you like to have a drink?")
The following are some of the most frequently used idiomatic expressions including the verb
andare:
Italian "English"
(literally) "Michele said Lucia let herself go."

Michele ha detto che Lucia si è lasciata (meaning) "Michele said Lucia neglected
andare. (lasciarsi andare) herself."
(literally) "I think Paolo and Martina go arm

in arm."
Io penso che Paolo e Martina vadano a
(meaning) "I think Paolo and Martina get
braccetto. (andare a braccetto)
along very well."
Il tuo progetto sta andando a gonfie vele! (literally) "Your project is going in full sail!"
(andare a gonfie vele) (meaning) "Your project is going perfectly!"
(literally) "I wanted to go on vacation in

Volevo andare in vacanza in Spagna, ma è Spain, but it all went to the mountain."
andato tutto a monte/andato a rotoli. (meaning) "I wanted to go on vacation in
(andare a monte/andare a rotoli) Spain, but it all fell through."
Il nuovo iPod è andato a ruba. (andare a (literally) "The new iPod went to robbery."
ruba) (meaning) "The new iPod sold like hot
cakes."
Quando cominciò il nuovo lavoro, Serena (literally) "When she started the new job,
non sapeva dove andare a parare. (andare Serena didn't know where to find shelter."
a parare*) (meaning) "When Serena started the new
job, she didn't know what to do."
(literally) "The first attempt to reach the

Il primo tentativo di raggiungere la luna moon went into emptiness."
andò a vuoto. (andare a vuoto) (meaning) "The first attempt to reach the
moon failed."
(literally) "If I were you, I'd go with leaden

Se io fossi in te, ci andrei coi piedi di feet."
piombo. (andare coi piedi di piombo) (meaning) "If I were you, I'd be very careful."
La nostra ultima speranza di vittoria è (literally) "Our last hope to win went into
andata in fumo smoke."
. (andare in fumo) (meaning) "Our last hope to win dissolved
into thin air."
(literally) "Lack of respect makes me go on

La mancanza di rispetto mi fa andare su all furies."
tutte le furie. (andare su tutte le furie) (meaning) "Lack of respect stirs my anger."
* We use the idiomatic expression andare a parare exclusively in negative statements,

mainly with the verb sapere ("to know") followed by the adverb dove ("where").
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Museo Correr
The museo Correr ("Correr Museum") is located in the Sestriere of San Marco area in Venice.
Its large collection of pieces of art is hosted in the ala napoleonica ("Napoleonic wing"), built
by the will of the French leader, in order to establish a new area where the government could
run official ceremonies.
We can trace the origins of the museum back to the last private owner of the building,
Teodoro Correr, whom the museum is named after. In his will, he donated the palace to the
city of Venice, which resolved to make it a permanent museum due to its already
considerable art collection. In fact, its collection grew in size so considerably that at a certain
point it became necessary to transfer some pieces of art to another site, the Fondaco dei
Turchi ("Turkish Warehouse").
The museum is divided into different sale ("halls") that host works of artists ranging from the
fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries. Hall thirteen contains works on the La Battaglia di
Lepanto ("the Battle of Lepanto"), including a terra cotta bust of Francesco Duodo and a
portrait of the Venetian commander Sebastiano Venier. If you wish to know more about this
museum, please visit the following website:
http://www.venetia.it/m_correr_ita.htm.
(No English version of the website is available.)
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #22
Shhh! Don't Tell Her, But I Have
Been an Italian Fool for Love!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
7 Cultural Insight
# 22
ITALIAN
1. John: (bisbigliando a Paolo) Ora, vai, diglielo!
2. Paolo: (bisbigliando a John) Ora vado. (si avvicina a Martina e schiarisce

la voce) Ehm, Martina, sai c’è questa canzone bellissima che
volevo farti sentire, potresti venire un attimo di la?
3. Martina: Paolo, ma siamo ad un party! Divertiti, dai, penseremo dopo alla

canzone.
4. Paolo: Va bene.
5. John: (bisbigliando dietro Paolo) Non mollare, insisti!
6. Paolo: Ho pensato che. Ho pensato che volevo farti vedere una cosa di là.
7. Martina: Cosa?
8. Paolo: Ehm, non posso dirtelo, è un affare di sicurezza nazionale.
9. Martina: Eh? Sicurezza nazionale? Ma sei ubriaco?
10. Paolo: No, per niente. Vieni di là un minuto.
11. Martina: (scocciata) Ok, ok, cosa sarà mai? Ancora il tuo lavoro?
12. Paolo: Entra e vedi di persona.
13. Martina: Wow! E ora questo cos’è?
ENGLISH
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #22 - S HHH! DON'T T ELL HER, BUT I HAVE BEEN AN I T ALI AN FOOL FOR LOVE! 2
1. John: (whispering to Paolo) Now! Come on, tell her!
2. Paolo: (whispering to John) I’m going. (he gets close to Martina and clears
his voice) Ahem, Martina, you know there’s this beautiful song I
want you to listen to, could you come in the other room for a
second?
3. Martina: Paolo, but we’re at a party! Have fun, come on, we’ll think about the
song later.
4. Paolo: All right.
5. John: (whispering behind Paolo) Don’t give up, insist!
6. Paolo: I thought that…I thought that I wanted you to see something in the
other room.
7. Martina: What?
8. Paolo: Ahem, I can’t tell you. It’s a matter of national security.
9. Martina: Eh? National security? Are you drunk?
10. Paolo: Not at all. Come over there for a minute.
11. Martina: (annoyed) Okay, okay, what would that ever be? Your job again?
12. Paolo: Enter and see it yourself.
13. Martina: Wow! And now what’s this?
VOCABULARY
to come close,
avvicinarsi verb
approach
schiarire to clear verb
pensare to think, believe verb
bisbigliare to whisper verb
sicurezza security, safety noun feminine
ubriacarsi to get drunk verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Avvicinati! Mi schiarisco la voce.
"Come closer!" "I'm clearing my throat."
Penso che arriverò in ritardo. Cosa ne pensi?
"I think I'll be late." "What do you think about it?"
Non bisbigliate durante la lezione, per Questa è una prigione di massima

favore. sicurezza.
"Don't whisper during the lesson, please." "This is a maximum-security prison."
Si è ubriacato.
"He got drunk."
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Usage of the Auxiliary Verbs Essere and Avere in the
Passato Prossimo Tense.
Ho pensato che. Ho pensato che volevo farti vedere una cosa di là.
"I thought that...I thought that I wanted you to see something in the other room."
We construct the passato prossimo tense by using the present form of the auxiliary verb,
conjugated according to the person it refers to, followed by the past participle of the main verb:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb (present tense of either essere or avere) + Main Verb (past
participle)
Whenever a verb requires the auxiliary verb essere, we need to conjugate its past participle
according to the gender and number of the subject it refers to.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Marco è tornato (singular masculine) a

casa. "Marco came back home."
Luisa è stata (singular feminine) in Grecia. "Luisa has been to Greece."
Le ragazze sono partite (plural feminine)

ieri. "The girls left yesterday."
Verbs requiring the auxiliary verb avere do not change their ending vowels.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Antonio ha pensato di comprare una nuova

macchina. "Antonio thought of buying a new car."
Maria ha perso le chiavi. "Maria lost the keys."
Elisa e Roberta hanno visto un film. "Elisa and Roberta watched a movie."
Note that when we use them as main verbs, essere and avere require their respective present
forms as auxiliary verbs. The following reference tables display, respectively, the passato
prossimo of the verbs essere, meaning "to be" (The plural persons are traditionally presented
in the plural masculine form, ending with the vowel i.) and avere, meaning "to have".
Passato Prossimo
essere ("to be")
Italian "English"
io sono stato "I have been"/"was"
tu sei stato "you have been"/"were"
lui/lei è stato "he/she/it has been"/"was"
noi siamo stati "we have been"/"were"
voi siete stati "you have been"/"were"
loro sono stati "they have been"/"were"
Passato Prossimo
avere ("to have")
Italian "English"
io ho avuto "I have had"/"had"
tu hai avuto "you have had"/"had"
lui/lei ha avuto "he/she/it has had"/"had"
noi abbiamo avuto "we have had"/"had"
voi avete avuto "you have had"/"had"
loro hanno avuto "they have had"/"had"
Although there are some guidelines regarding what main verbs require the auxiliary verb
essere, there isn't any proper, reliable rule. In case you do not have the opportunity to refer to
a dictionary, the following list provides you with the most important guidelines to follow when
deciding what auxiliary verb to use with Italian main verbs.
Use the auxiliary essere when using:
• verbs that express physical movement from or to a specific point
For Example:
Italian "English"
andare "to go"
tornare "to come back"
partire "to leave"
• reflexive and pronominal verbs
For Example:
Italian "English"
lavarsi "to clean oneself"
morire "to die"
nascere "to be born"
diventare "to become"
vivere "to live"
succedere "to happen," "to take place"
sembrare "to seem"
piacere "to like"
Use the auxiliary avere with all other verbs.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Palazzo Fortuny
Palazzo Fortuny ("Fortuny Palace") is a Venetian gothic palace located in the sestriere of San
Marco area. The palace is named after its last owner, the great Spanish painter Marià Fortuny
y de Madrazo, Italianized as Mariano Fortuny. Nowadays, it hosts an eponymous museum,
which is also a popular, though not elitist, workshop for contemporary artists.
The noble family Pesaro, which resided there until the end of the eighteenth century, built the
palace. After the Pesaro family left, the palace housed the Accademia Filarmonica degli Orfei
("Orfei Philharmonic Academy"), thence it'd be later known as Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei.
Mariano Fortuny purchased the palace in order to make it a private atelier for his diversified
artistic works. In addition to his highly developed painting skills, Fortuny was a versatile and
knowledgeable artist who was interested in many fields, such as photography and stage
design.
After his death, his wife Henriette donated the palace to the city of Venice. The city authorities
decided to carry on the eclectic spirit of its old owner and decided to make it a place where
artists from all parts of the world can gather and continue to experiment with many different
artistic disciplines.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #23
Will Your Grand Italian Gesture
Work?
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 23
ITALIAN
1. Paolo: Martina…
2. Martina: Paolo, ma cos'è successo in questa stanza?
3. Paolo: Sono palloncini a forma di cuore.
4. Martina: Per chi? Per me?
5. Paolo: Certo. Ascolta, voglio dirti una cosa.
6. Martina: Cosa?
7. Paolo: Credo di essermi innamorato di te.
8. Martina: Cosa? Ma se ci conosciamo appena!
9. Paolo: Forse non te ne sei mai accorta.
10. Martina: È uno scherzo, vero?
11. Paolo: No, per niente. Ti amo, Martina.
12. Martina: Veramente io…
13. Paolo: Vieni qui.
14. Martina: (sorridendo) Ma sei pazzo? Non vedi che la porta è aperta?
15. Paolo: A quello penseremo dopo. Ora baciami ancora. (la ribacia)
ENGLISH
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #23 - WI LL YOUR GRAND I T ALI AN GES T URE WORK? 2
1. Paolo: Martina…
2. Martina: Paolo, but what's happened in this room?
3. Paolo: Those are heart-shaped balloons.
4. Martina: For who? For me?
5. Paolo: Sure. Listen, I want to tell you something.
6. Martina: What?
7. Paolo: I think I am in love with you.
8. Martina: What? But we barely know each other!
9. Paolo: Maybe you never noticed.
10. Martina: It's a joke, right?
11. Paolo: No, not at all. I love you, Martina.
12. Martina: Actually I…
13. Paolo: Come here.
14. Martina: (smiling) Are you crazy? Don't you see the door is open?
15. Paolo: We'll think about that later. Now kiss me again. (he kisses her again)
VOCABULARY
succedere to happen verb
stanza room noun
ascoltare to listen verb
innamorarsi to fall in love, love verb
conoscere to know verb
pazzo mad, crazy adjective
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Non è mai successo prima. Che ti è successo?
"Never happened before." "What happened to you?"
Questa è la mia stanza. Non ascoltare musica a volume alto.
"This is my room." "Don't listen to loud music."
Ascoltiamo il discorso di Mario. Ascolta bene!
"We are listening to Mario's speech." "Listen well!"
Sono innamorato di lei. Conosci qualche cantante italiano?
"I've fallen in love with her." "Do you know any Italian singers?"
Ieri sera ho conosciuto un attore molto Conosci il mio amico Mario?

importante.
"Do you know my friend Mario?"
"Yesterday evening, I met a very important
actor."
E' pazzo!
"He's crazy!"
GRAMMAR
The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Usage of the Passato Prossimo Tense.
Paolo, ma cos'è successo in questa stanza?
"Paolo, but what's happened in this room?"
How we use the passato prossimo tense varies according to whether we employ it in the
written or spoken language.
In the written language and formal spoken Italian, we use the passato prossimo tense as
follows:
1) To convey any past action that the writer deems to be completed (whether it actually is or
not) at the time when the statement is uttered. In this case, the passato prossimo works as
present perfect in English.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Avete comprato il pane? "Have you bought bread?"
Hai visto Mario oggi? "Have you seen Mario today?"
"They have never been to the United

Non sono mai stati negli Stati Uniti. States."
2) To communicate past actions whose consequences are related to the present time. This
meaning is conveyed in English through the usage of either the simple past or the present
perfect tenses.
For Example:
Italian "English"
Nuoto bene perchè ho avuto un buon "I can swim well because I had a good
maestro. instructor."
"Caesar has been the most skilled

Cesare è stato il più abile uomo di stato. statesman."
Questa università è stata costruita dieci
anni fa. "This university was built ten years ago."
3) To convey recent past occurrences. The "recentness" value attached to this kind of past
action is purely subjective. Even though scholars tried to regulate this aspect by setting
arbitrary time limits, they have so far been unsuccessful. Of course, this does not mean that
we can use the passato prossimo indiscriminately. The context we are writing in usually
explains the difference between the distant and recent past.
For Example:
Italian "English"
"The five continents emerged a billion

I cinque continenti emersero un miliardo di years ago, whereas human history started
anni fa, laddove la storia umana è iniziata only fifteen thousand years ago."
solamente quindicimila anni fa.
L'impero romano durò più di mille anni, la "The Roman Empire lasted for more than a
Repubblica italiana è stata fondata thousand years; the Italian Republic was
centocinquanta anni fa. founded one hundred fifty years ago."
Sono andato in Egitto un anno fa. "I went to Egypt one year ago."
As regards spoken colloquial language, in Northern Italy, people exclusively employ the
passato prossimo tense to convey any past action, regardless of the context.
Similarly, in southern and central Italy, speakers tend to use the passato remoto tense (fully
explained in our Lower Intermediate course) to communicate any past occurrences,
regardless of the circumstances they took place in.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Piazza San Marco
The historical importance of Piazza San Marco ("St. Mark's Square") in Venice is enormous.
First, it is the only square in Venice that's called piazza, whereas all other Venetian squares
are called campo (literally, "field"). Even though it started becoming a square in the middle
ages, it took its present aspect during the Renaissance by the will of the Venetian dogi
("doges"), who wished to display the wealth of the Regina dei mari ("Queen of Seas"), the
name through which the Republic of Venice was known in Europe.
The piazza hosts Venice's most important historical buildings. The Palazzo Ducale used to be
the meeting place of the Venetian senate and was therefore the political center of the city. In
addition to its political role, the same Palazzo Ducale was also used as a high-security prison
for either extremely dangerous or political criminals.
Piazza San Marco has always been the core of the city's public life, even of the least pleasant
events. Public executions were held there, specifically between the columns of Marco and
Todaro.
LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #24
Do Me a Favor While You're in Italy!
CONTENTS
2 Italian
2 English
3 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 24
ITALIAN
1. Paolo: Ehi John, grazie per prima.
2. John: Di nulla. Sono contento sia andato tutto a buon fine.
3. Paolo: Ti devo un favore.
4. John: Non ti preoccupare. Ehi Martina, sembra sia nata una nuova
coppia, eh?
5. Martina: Eh eh, grazie.
6. John: Vi unite a noi per la settimana bianca domani?
7. Paolo: Partite per la montagna?
8. John: Sì, questa settimana c'è il ponte. Se non avete da lavorare unitevi a
noi!
9. Martina: Beh, io credo di poter venire.
10. Paolo: Io dovrei sentire il capo, perché dovrei partire per lavoro.
11. Martina: Come, non stiamo insieme?
12. Paolo: Ehm, non lo so ancora, dovrei sentirlo.
13. Martina: Iniziamo bene!
14. Paolo: Lo chiamo subito, vediamo se riesco a posticipare!
ENGLISH
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #24 - DO ME A FAVOR WHI LE YOU'RE I N I T ALY! 2

1. Paolo: Hey, John. Thanks for before.
2. John: You're welcome. I'm happy everything went fine.
3. Paolo: I owe you a favor.
4. John: Don't worry. Hey, Martina, it looks like a new couple is born, huh?
5. Martina: Hey, thanks.
6. John: Will you join us for the ski holiday tomorrow?
7. Paolo: Are you leaving for the mountains?
8. John: Yes, this weekend is a long one. If you don't have to work, join us!
9. Martina: Well, I think I could join you.
10. Paolo: I should call the boss, because I have to leave for work.
11. Martina: What, we won't be together?
12. Paolo: Ehm, I don't know yet, I should call him.
13. Martina: That's a good start!
14. Paolo: I will call him right away; let's see if I can postpone it.
VOCABULARY

prima before, earlier adverb
contento happy, content adjective
favore favor noun
unire to join, unite verb
lavorare to work verb
sentire to hear, listen to verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Faccio sempre colazione prima di Se vieni a casa la nonna sarà contenta.

andare al lavoro.
"If you come home, grandmother will be
"I always have breakfast before going to happy."
work."
Sono contento. Paolo è contento.
"I'm happy." "Paolo is happy."
Mi faresti un favore? Uniamoci a loro.
"Could you do me a favor?" "Let's join them."
Non lavorare troppo. Lavoro in una fabbrica.
"Don't work too much." "I work in a factory."
Parlo a voce bassa, mi senti. Non lo sento da due giorni.
"I speak softly; can you hear me?" "I haven't heard from him in two days."
Hai sentito cosa è successo?
"Have you heard what happened?"
GRAMMAR

The Focus of This Lesson Is on the Expressions Presented in the Dialogue.
Ti devo un favore.
"I owe you a favor."
In the dialogue above, John replies to Paolo's thanks saying di nulla. Both the expressions di
nulla and prego, which do not translate literally into English, mean "You are welcome." We
may use di nulla in both formal and informal Italian and, contrary to its English equivalent, it
does not require either a subject or a verb. Please note that we use the literal translation of
"You are welcome," sei il benvenuto, in Italian to welcome people to specific places.
For Example:
1. Sei il benvenuto a casa mia ogni volta che vuoi venire.

"You are welcome to my house whenever you wish to come."
On the contrary, Paolo's statement ti devo un favore translates literally into English as "I owe
you a favor." In this case, the verb dovere is not an auxiliary verb, but a standard transitive
verb, which requires both a direct object (in this case, un favore) as well as an indirect object
(ti = a te, "to you").
The settimana bianca (literally, "white week") is a well-established Italian tradition. It consists
of a weeklong vacation (the exact duration may change, but it usually lasts between a few
days and two weeks) during the Christmas holiday. Italians pack up their ski gear and go
skiing on the Alpi ("Alps") or the Appennini mountain ranges. The popular resorts are Cortina
d'Ampezzo and Madonna di Campiglio.
When explaining why he'll be going on vacation for the settimana bianca, John says that this
week c'è il ponte (literally, "there is the bridge"). We use this expression, which we may
translate into English as "long weekend," whenever public holidays take place on Fridays, the
last working day of the week for the majority of people in Italy. In case of a longer weekend, in
Italian we may specify the number of days, although this procedure is not normally necessary.
For Example:
1. C'è un ponte di quattro giorni.

"We'll have a four-day weekend."

Originally, landlords used the expressions settimana corta ("short week") and settimana lunga
("long week") to mean, respectively, a renting period of five days per week as opposed to the
full week. We also use the former to indicate weeks whose working days are fewer than five
(usually four), whereas the latter means weeks whose working days are greater than five.
CULTURAL INSIGHT
The Unique Style of the Venetian Palace
The architectural shape of Venetian aristocratic palaces perfectly mirrors their two-fold role. In
fact, noble families used their Venetian palaces both as luxurious private residences as well
as the main trading centers of their businesses. Contrary to other noble families in Europe,
almost all Venetian aristocrats were (often, overly wealthy) merchants engaged in
international trading, mostly with Muslim countries. During the Middle Ages and early
Renaissance, the Venetian Republic had complete control over the trade of Oriental spices,
silk, and many other exotic goods that European nations could not obtain due to both their
lack of expertise in seafaring and their tenuous diplomatic relations with the Middle Eastern
countries.
The patrician palaces normally had two entrances, one for the members of the family and its
guests, and the other for merchandise and serfs. The latter used to live in the palace, normally
in its basement floor. The buildings also housed administrative offices and display rooms.
Even after the political and military decline of the republic, though the ancient vocation of
trading had been gradually lost over the preceding four centuries, Venetian palaces were still
built according to this fashion, thus respecting what became the "Venetian" style.

LESSON NOTES
Newbie S2 #25
Italian Knock-Knock Jokes
CONTENTS
2 Italian
3 English
4 Vocabulary
4 Sample Sentences
4 Grammar
6 Cultural Insight
# 25
ITALIAN
1. Paolo: Ehi Martina, devo fare una chiamata, vado nell'altra stanza.
2. Martina: Ok, ti aspettiamo qui.
3. John: Non ti preoccupare. Il capo capirà.
4. Martina: Oh, lo spero sinceramente!
5. (Paolo ritorna)
6. John: Allora, com'è andata? Ti lascerà venire con noi?
7. Paolo: Sfortunatamente, no. Ha detto che devo andare a lavorare. Partirò

domani con il primo treno della mattina.
8. Martina: Oh no, il nostro primo viaggio insieme!
9. John: È un peccato Paolo…ci saremmo potuti divertire insieme, mi

dispiace. Sarai triste, immagino.
10. Paolo: Oh, non ti preoccupare, stavo solo scherzando.
11. John: Cosa?
12. Martina: Uno scherzo? Questo significa…che domani verrai con noi?
13. Paolo: Certo!
14. Martina: Evviva!
CONT'D OVER
I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #25 - I T ALI AN KNOCK-KNOCK JOKES 2

15. John: Sì!
ENGLISH
1. Paolo: Hey, Martina, I have to make a call, I'll go to the other room.
2. Martina: Okay, we'll wait for you here.
3. John: Don't worry. The boss will understand.
4. Martina: Oh, I really hope so!
5. (Paolo comes back)
6. John: So how did it go? Will he let you go with us?
7. Paolo: Sadly, no. He said I have to go to work. Tomorrow, I'll leave with the
first train in the morning.
8. Martina: Oh no, our first trip together!
9. John: That's a pity Paolo…we could have had fun together, I'm sorry. You
must be sad, I assume.
10. Paolo: Oh, don't worry, actually I was just joking.
11. John: What?
12. Martina: A joke? This means…that you're actually coming with us tomorrow?
CONT'D OVER

13. Paolo: Sure!
14. Martina: Hurray!
15. John: Yes!
VOCABULARY
altro another, else adjective
chiamata call noun
sfortunatamente unfortunately, unluckily adverb
viaggio trip noun
capo boss, chief noun
significare to mean, entail, signify verb
SAMPLE SENTENCES
Prendo un altro cioccolatino. Ieri sera ho ricevuto tre chiamate.
"I'll take another chocolate." "I received three calls yesterday night."
Sfortunatamente, non abbiamo visto Voglio fare un viaggio.

nessun cervo.
"I want to make a trip."
"Unfortunately, we didn't see any deer."
Sei tu il capo. Cosa significa questo?
"You are the boss." "What does this mean?"
GRAMMAR

The Focus of This Lesson Is Reviewing Two Usages of futuro semplice ("Simple Future")
Tense and Studying the Verb dispiacersi ("to be sorry," "to mind").
È un peccato Paolo...ci saremmo potuti divertire insieme, mi dispiace. Sarai triste,
immagino.
"That's a pity Paolo...we could have had fun together, I'm sorry. You must be sad, I
assume."
In today's dialogue, we see the Italian futuro semplice ("simple future") tense in two of its
possible employments.
Its most frequent usage is to convey prospective occurrences. In this sense, it is identical to its
English equivalent. Please note that using the futuro semplice implies that the speaker
assumes its statement to be or become true, regardless of its actual outcome. For instance,
John says Il capo capirà ("The boss will understand.").
The use of futuro semplice implies that John believes that his boss will almost certainly
understand the situation and let him take a couple of days off. Had he been unsure about his
boss's reply, he'd have used the condizionale presente ("present conditional"), as in Il capo
dovrebbe capire ("The boss should understand.").
The second employment of futuro semplice we see in the dialogue consists of expressing
assumptions related to the present time. John says Sarai triste, immagino (verb essere, "to
be"), which literally means "You will be sad, I assume." We can translate this as meaning "You
must be sad, I assume."
As we can see from the proper translation, this expression is in fact just an assumption
(though likely to be true) that John made about his friend's feelings at moment he uttered it. It
does not in any way refer to the future; it is simply an idiomatic usage of futuro semplice tense.
Finally, John uses the verb dispiacersi ("to be sorry," "to mind") in the sentence mi dispiace.
Contrary to its English equivalent, the verb dispiacersi is a pronominal verb, and we can
express its subject through the indirect object pronoun.
Italian "English"
Ci dispiace di non essere arrivati in orario. "We are sorry we didn't arrive on time."
Ti dispiace se apro la finestra? "Do you mind if I open the window?"

Vi dispiace di essere stati indelicati con "You are sorry for having been indelicate
Luca, non è così? with Luca, isn't that so?"
CULTURAL INSIGHT
Chiesa di San Marco
The first chiesa di San Marco ("Church of St. Mark") in Venice was built next to Palazzo
Ducale in 828, in order to host the mortal remains of the apostle St. Mark. According to the
story, the two Venetian merchants Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da Torcello stole them
from an unspecified place in Alexandria.
The Venetian doge (the elected chief of the former Venetian senate) Domenico Contarini
erected the present basilica in 1063, closely following the same dimensions and shape of the
earlier church.
According to a popular legend, the body of St. Mark was found inside a pillar of the new
basilica in 1094, the same year which the basilica was officially consecrated.
The Basilica of San Marco hosts a huge collection of pieces of art, which Venetian public
authorities and private merchants gathered through the centuries. In particular, it hosts a large
collection of Byzantine sculptures and pieces of furniture taken by the Venetian army in the
sack of Constantinople (the present Istanbul, Turkey's capital city) during the Fourth Crusade
in 1206.
The basilica has gone through many renovations during its history, due to natural accidents
(mostly earthquakes and fires) and heterogeneous additions to both its interior and exterior
façades.

Intro 13 Everyone's Talking About This in Italian... Can
1 Italian Transitive Verbs: She Beat Up That Little Boy! You?!
2 Italian Intransitive Verbs: I Like Swimming and Dancing! 14 Italian Simple Prepositions: Will Hitting You
3 Express Your Love in Italian This Valentine’s Day! With the Phone Help You?
4 Italian Direct Object Pronouns: What’s Wrong with You?? 15 This Simple Italian Word Can Really Take You
5 Direct Object Pronouns Part 2: Sound Like Them in Places!
Italian! 16 Are You Between a Rock and a Hard Place in
6 Can Italian Direct Object Pronouns Help You Relieve Italy?
Stress? 17 What Do You Do With a Man in Polka Dot
7 Indirect Object Pronouns: Can You Teach Me to Speak Pajamas?
Italian? 18 If You Thought Your Italian Polka Dot Lover
8 Indirect Object Pronouns: What Can You Tell Them in Only Had Eyes for You...
Italian? 19 How Far Will You Go for Love in Italy?
9 Combine Tenses: I Was Shopping in Milan When You 20 Are You Too Excited to Count in Italian?
Called! 21 Can You Figure It Out in Italian?
10 While I was Shopping in Milan, I Lost my Credit Cards! 22 Shhh! Don't Tell Her, But I Have Been an Italian
11 What a Difference One Letter Makes – Italian Simple Fool for Love!
Prepositions 23 Will Your Grand Italian Gesture Work?
12 Travel in Italy Could Be Hard Without This... Unless You 24 Do Me a Favor While You're in Italy!
Come by Horse! 25 Italian Knock-Knock Jokes
©2020 Innovative Language Learning, LLC (P)2020 Innovative Language Learning, LLC presented by ItalianPod101.com

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LESSON NOTES

2. John: Ciao Laura, come stai?

3. Laura: Ciao, io sto bene e tu?

4. John: Anch'io, grazie. Cosa fai?

5. Laura: Lavo i piatti e tu?

6. John: Guardo la televisione, ma non c’è nulla di divertente.

7. Laura: Perché non ascolti un podcast?

8. John: Hai ragione! Ora cerco un podcast interessante. Grazie. Ciao.

2. John: Hello Laura, how are you?

3. Laura: Hi, I’m fine. And you?

4. John: Me too, thanks. What are you doing?

5. Laura: I’m washing the dishes. And you?

I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #1 - I T ALI AN T RANS I T I VE VERBS : S HE BEAT UP T HAT LI T T LE BOY! 2

7. Laura: Why don’t you listen to a podcast?

Italian English C lass

lavare to wash, clean verb

guardare to look, to watch verb

televisione television noun

ascoltare to listen verb

podcast podcast noun

interessante interesting adjective

Lavo la camicia. La domenica molti italiani guardano il

Guardiamo un film italiano? Guardi la tv?

"Shall we watch an Italian movie?" "Are you watching TV?"

I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #1 - I T ALI AN T RANS I T I VE VERBS : S HE BEAT UP T HAT LI T T LE BOY! 3

"The television isn't working." "Don't listen to loud music."

Ascoltiamo il discorso di Mario. Ascolta bene!

"We are listening to Mario's speech." "Listen well!"

Italianpod101.com è un podcast È una teoria molto interessante.

1. Lucia sta leggendo un romanzo.

2. Mario mangia una mela.

3. Serena canta una canzone.

I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #1 - I T ALI AN T RANS I T I VE VERBS : S HE BEAT UP T HAT LI T T LE BOY! 4

1. Lucia sta leggendo.

For example, if we read a sentence such as Francesco cucina ("Francesco is cooking"), we

abbracciare "to hug"

accendere "to switch, turn on"

accettare "to accept"

aiutare "to help"

amare "to love"

ascoltare "to hear, listen to"

I T ALI ANPOD101.COM NEWBI E S 2 #1 - I T ALI AN T RANS I T I VE VERBS : S HE BEAT UP T HAT LI T T LE BOY! 5

bloccare "to block"

bruciare "to burn"

cacciare "to hunt"

calcolare "to calculate, compute"

calmare "to calm down"

cambiare "to change"

cancellare "to cancel, delete"

capire "to understand"

capovolgere "to turn upside-down"

caricare "to load"

catturare "to capture"

cavalcare "to ride"

cercare "to search for, look for"

chiamare "to call"

chiedere "to ask"

chiudere "to close"

combattere "to fight"

colpire "to hit"