Italian Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-08-2022

As you're studying Italian, either on your own or in a course, keep this Cheat Sheet handy for a quick reference on articles, personal pronouns, tenses, and more.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-01-2022

Of all the vocabulary needed to speak a language, nothing is nearly as valuable as verbs. Without them, your language is stagnant and incapable of showing action. To make the most of Italian verbs, you can add prefixes and suffixes or the occasional adverb or pronoun and expand your Italian vocabulary exponentially.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

The Italian language is adapting to the rhythms of modern life with the introduction of new idioms and the construction of simpler, more concise sentences and paragraphs. The basic rules of the Italian language, however, stay the same. Despite the ongoing transformation of the language, these rules remain the foundation that stabilizes it. Here are a few Italian fundamentals that you don't want to miss if you want to communicate in Italian.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-19-2022

Planning a trip to Italy? Learn some basic Italian to make it more fulfilling. Get to know Italian greetings, question words, numbers, and the days of the week. Also, be sure to know how to ask for help in Italian so you're prepared for emergencies. And something very important: how to order food and drink!

Article / Updated 10-01-2021

When traveling in Italy, you'll find that the Italian words and phrases you use most frequently will be the common greetings. The words and phrases will quickly become second nature as you use them day in and day out with everyone you come across. Saying hello and goodbye As you'd expect, you should use a polite greeting when you run into someone you know or want to know. But it's important to use the correct greeting depending on who the person is. So, you would use a different word for greeting your friend than you would for greeting your boss or teacher. The most common ways to greet someone in Italian are: Ciao (hello; hi [Informal]) Ciao! is the most common way of saying hello and goodbye informally. You should never use it with someone like a boss or a teacher or anyone else with whom you're using Lei (the formal version of you). Salve! (Hi; Bye [Formal/Informal]) Che piacere vederti! (How nice it is to see you! [Informal]) Buongiorno! (Hello; Good morning; Goodbye [Formal]) Buona sera! (Hello; Good evening; Goodbye [Formal]) Use the longer Buon giorno and Buona sera in more formal situations, like when you enter a store. There are also many ways to say goodbye: Ciao! (Hi; Bye [Informal]) Salve! (Hi; Bye [Formal/Informal]) Ciao! Ciao! (Bye-bye!) Buon giorno! (Hello; Good morning; Goodbye [Formal]) Buona sera! (Hello; Good evening; Goodbye [Formal]) Buona notte! (Good night! [Formal/Informal]) Use Buona notte! only when its bedtime and when you're taking leave of people at night and you think that everyone is going to bed. Arrivederci! (Goodbye! [Informal]) Arrivederla! (Goodbye! [Formal]) A dopo! (See you later! [Formal/Informal]) A presto! (See you soon! [Formal/Informal]) A domani! (See you tomorrow! [Formal/Informal]) A fra poco. (See you in a bit.) Cheek kissing is another common type of greeting in Italy, as it is in most European countries. However, in Italy, cheek kissing is reserved for greeting people you know well and is less common among men. To avoid bumping noses, the rule is to kiss left cheek first and then the right. When you meet someone for the first time, handshakes are much more common. As you get to know the other person, you move more into cheek-kissing territory. Asking and replying to "How are you?" How are you? How's it going? How many times a day do we hear or say these brief greetings at the beginning of our conversations? So many times, in fact, that half the time, we don't even pay attention. These pleasantries are common in Italy as well. The most common ways to ask how someone is doing are: Come stai? (How are you? [Informal]) Come sta? (How are you? [Formal]) As you'd expect, when someone asks you how you're doing, there are many responses. Sto bene! (I'm well!) Molto bene, grazie. (Very well, thanks.) Abbastanza bene, grazie. (Pretty well, thanks.) Non c'è male. (Pretty well, thanks.) Sto bene grazie, e tu? (I'm well, thanks, and you? [Informal]) Sto bene, grazie, e Lei? (I'm well, thanks, and you? [Formal]) Non sto bene.; Sto male. (I'm not well.) Malissimo! (Not well at all!) Va bene. (Things are going well.) Va tutto bene. (Everything's going well.) Va benissimo! (Things are going great!) Va male. (Things aren't going well.) Così così. (So so.) Non mi posso lamentare. (I can't complain.) Benissimo! (Great!) How to address people Italians like titles and tend to use them whenever possible. When addressing someone without using his or her last name, use the entire title as it's listed here. But when you add the person's last name to the title, you drop the final -e in the title. Use the Lei form when using any of the following titles: Miss (Signorina) Mrs.; Madam (Signora) Mister; Sir (Signore) professore [M]; professoressa [F] (professor) ingegnere (engineer) dottore [M]; dottoressa [F] (doctor) In Italian, dottore is used if the person has a university degree even though it's not a medical degree.

Article / Updated 08-05-2020

Italian idioms add color to a language and make you sound competent and comfortable. Using idioms (may) make Italians think you know more of their language than you actually do. That's good because it means people will respond in kind and help you both to expand your language skills and ease your acceptance into another culture. Idioms often reflect cultural mores, traditions, and values. For example, in English, you say someone is as good as gold; in Italian, someone is buono come il pane (good as bread). Something terrible in English can be ugly as sin; in Italian, that same something is brutto come la fame (ugly as hunger). A nonverbal idiom to be aware of is whistling. In the United States, at sports events, for example, you whistle (loudly) to show approval. In Italy, fischi (whistles) show disapproval. Whistling is the equivalent of booing. Following are common Italian idioms that not only will make you sound more Italian but also will help you to understand Italian better. In bocca al lupo! In bocca al lupo! (Into the mouth of the wolf!) is an informal way to say Good luck! It probably has its origins in a hunting expression. You don't reply with thank you but rather Crepi il lupo! (May the wolf croak!) Of course, you can wish someone buona fortuna, but the idiomatic form is much more common. Fa un freddo cane! and Other Animal Idioms Fa un freddo cane! (It's dog cold!) (or more idiomatically: really, really cold; a three-dog night) is just one of many Italian idioms that use animals to describe the character of something or someone. Occasionally, Italian and English use the same animal in their idioms but not always. Here are some examples of animal-related idioms, including their English equivalents and what they commonly refer to in Italian: un coniglio (rabbit): A coward. una civetta (owl): A flirt. un pesce (fish): Someone who doesn't talk. un'oca (goose): Someone silly, flighty. un pollo da spennare (a chicken waiting to be plucked): A mark, someone who can be taken advantage of. uno struzzo (ostrich): Someone who can eat anything and suffer no side effects has the stomaco da struzzo (stomach of an ostrich). una volpe (fox): Someone clever, who can always work difficult things out. un camaleonte (chameleon): Someone who changes his principles or ideas according to his own best interests. le farfalle (butterflies): To run after butterflies means to chase dreams, not to be realistic. una cicogna (stork): Brings babies. un ghiro (dormouse): You sleep like a ghiro instead of like a log. il rospo (toad): Instead of eating crow, in Italian, you inghiottire il rospo (swallow the toad). Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare Literally, Tra il dire e il fare c'è di mezzo il mare means Between saying and doing is the ocean. The English equivalent is There is many a slip between cup and lip. Also, this expression is a comment on good intentions and the idea that they often don't come to fruition. Tutto fa brodo Tutto fa brodo (everything makes broth, soup) isn't a cooking reference; it means that every little bit helps. If a store clerk or waiter gives you a discount, you may think tutto fa brodo, though you may not want to say it aloud. You don't after all want to denigrate the clerk or waiter's gracious gesture. O bere o affogare In English, you leave someone to sink or swim; in Italian, you allow someone o bere o affogare (to drink or drown). Both the English and the Italian may seem a bit harsh. The expression in both cases is used to push someone to do better work; you may say it, for example, to a student who is showing a demonstrable lack of effort or discipline. Buono come il pane: Food and Idioms Food occupies many idiomatic expressions in Italian. The saying buono come il pane (as good as bread) is indicative of the value assigned to food in Italian culture. Here are some of the most common food idioms, followed by their English equivalents: fare polpette di qualcuno (to make meatballs of someone): The English equivalent of this expression is to make mincemeat of someone. cercare I peli nell'uovo (to look for hairs in the egg): In English, this means to be picky, to nitpick. essere in un bel pasticcio (to be in a nice pie): This expression is equivalent to being in a pickle. avere le mani in pasta (to have your hands in dough): In English, you'd say you have a finger in many pies. qualcosa bolle in pentola (something boils in a saucepan): You use this expression to indicate that something's up. cavolo! (cabbage!): The English equivalent of cavolo! is darn! or damn! Un cane in chiesa An unwelcome guest in English becomes un cane in chiesa (a dog in church) in Italian. It's interesting that dogs aren't acceptable in churches, but before the famous Palio of Siena (a traditional horserace), competing horses are taken into churches to be blessed. Un pezzo grosso Someone who's really important is un pezzo grosso (a big piece) in Italian — the English equivalent is a big shot. Both idioms seem to reflect the belief that bigger is better. Rosa, giallo, nero: Colors and idioms In English, you can feel blue (sad); a day or mood can be gray (depressing, overwhelmed); and humor and films can be black (sardonic). Essere al verde (to be " at the green") means you're broke. Un libro giallo (A yellow book) is a detective story or mystery. Un libro rosa (A pink book) is a romance novel. Sogni d'oro (Golden dreams) are more likely to be sweet dreams in English. Ad ogni morte di Papa This phrase (every time a Pope dies) is the equivalent of once in a blue moon. It means very rarely. Because a Pope recently resigned, after nearly 600 years since any other Pope had done so, perhaps this saying will change.

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Learning the proper way to make introductions in Italian can help you get off to the right start. The Italian language tends to be a bit more formal than American English. Consequently, introductions in Italian follow more of a pattern than they sometimes do in the United States. Don't worry, it’s not complicated — just good manners. Introducing yourself First impressions are important — they can start a friendship or set the tone for your interaction with someone. Start with a greeting. The simplest greeting is Ciao or Buon giorno, which means Hello or Good Day. Introduce yourself. The two most common ways to introduce are to say Mi chiamo Name (My name is Name) or Sono Name (I'm Name). Since you are meeting the person for the first time, you should use the more formal form of you. Use the formal Lei (singular you) when speaking to people you don't know well; in situations such as in stores, restaurants, hotels, or pharmacies); and with professors, older people, and your friends' parents. Save the informal tu (singular you) and voi (plural you) for friends, relatives, younger people, and people you know well. The formal Loro (plural you) is rarely used and is gradually being replaced by the informal voi when addressing a group of people: Come ti/si chiami? (What's your name? [Informal]) Lei come si chiama? (What's your name? [Formal]) After they tell you their name you should express pleasure. For example. Piacere! (Nice to meet you!) Piacere di conoscerla (Pleased to meet you.) Asking "Where are you from?" You don't need to stop at introductions; you could also take this opportunity to talk about where each of you is from. To tell them where you're from, say Sono degli Stati Uniti. (I'm from the United States.) To ask where the person is from, you can say: Di dove sei? (Where are you from? [Informal]) Di dov'è Lei? (Where are you from? [Formal]) If you want to talk about where you live on the other hand, you can use the verbs abita or vivere — both of which mean to live: In quale città abita? (What city do you live in?) Lei abita qui? (Do you live here?) Dove vive? (Where do you live?) Vivo a Los Angeles. (I live in Los Angeles.) Introducing other people The second most common type of introduction is to introduce someone else, such as your spouse, child, or friend. The following phrases are typical of introducing someone else. Permette che mi presenti mia moglie? (May I introduce my wife?) Permette che mi presenti mio fidanzato, Antonio? (May I introduce my fiancé, Antonio?) Le/ti presento un amico mi, James. (This is my friend, James. [F/M]) Put the steps together and see how it comes together in a conversation. Larry: Buongiorno. Mi chiamo Larry. Lei come si chiama? (Hello. My name is Larry. What's your name?) Maria: Sono Maria. (I'm Maria.) Larry: Piacere di conoscerla. (It's a pleasure to meet you.) Maria: E lei. (And you.) Larry: Lei abitaqui? (Do you live here?) Maria: Sì. Di dov'è Lei? (Yes. Where are you from?) Larry: Sono degli Stati Unit. Vivo a Los Angeles. (I'm from the United States. I live in Los Angeles.) Maria: Permette che mi presenti mio fidanzato, Antonio? (May I introduce my fiancé, Antonio?) Larry: Piacere! (Nice to meet you!)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

When making plans, appointments, and travel arrangements in Italian-speaking countries, you need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Italian. Understanding the days of the week, the months of the year, and how to tell time in Italian can help you to avoid confusion. Calendar terms The days of the week (I giorni della settimana) aren't capitalized in Italian. lunedì (loo-neh-dee) (Monday) martedì (mahr-teh-dee) (Tuesday) mercoledì (mehr-koh-leh-dee) (Wednesday) giovedì (zhoh-veh-dee) (Thursday) venerdì (veh-nehr-dee) (Friday) sabato (sah-bah-toh) (Saturday)O domenica (doh-meh-nee-kah) (Sunday) Like the days of the week, the months of the year (I mesi della anno) aren't capitalized in Italian.) gennaio (jehn-nah-yoh) (January) febbraio (fehb-brah-yoh) (February) marzo (mahr-tsoh) (March) aprile (ah-pree-leh) (April) maggio (mahj-joh) (May) giugno (joo-nyoh) (June) luglio (loo-lyoh) (July) agosto (ah-gohs-toh) (August) settembre (seht-tehm-breh) (September) ottobre (oht-toh-breh) (October) novembre (noh-vehm-breh) (November) dicembre (dee-chehm-breh) (December) Italians write dates in a different order than we do. Start with the day, then the month, and then the year. For example, to express January 08, 2009, you would write 8/1/09 instead of 1/8/09. If you write it 1/8/09, it would be assumed you were talking about August. You can use the following phrases when discussing dates in Italian. Che giorno è oggi? (What day is today?) Oggi è venerdì. (Today is Friday.) Che giorno parti? [Informal]; Che giorno parte? [Formal] (What day are you leaving?) Parto lunedì. (I'm leaving on Monday.) In che mese vai in Italia? [Informal] (What month are you going to Italy?) Ad agosto. (In August.) Quando è il tuo compleanno? [Informal] (When's your birthday?) Il sette novembre. (November 7.) Che giorno è oggi? (What's the date?) É il cinque settembre. (It's September 5.) Telling time The time of day can be described in general terms or specific times. You can use the follow words to describe time in a general sense. di mattina (in the morning) del pomeriggio (in the afternoon) di sera (in the evening) di notte (in the middle of the night [until about5 a.m. or so]) giorno (johr-noh) [m] (day) ieri (ee-eh-ree) (yesterday) domani (doh-mah-nee) (tomorrow) mezzogiorno (noon) mezzanotte (midnight) oggi (today) Telling time in Italian is really just a question of counting. Italy commonly uses a 24-hour clock. When using a 24-hour clock, just add 12 to every hour after noon, for example 6 p.m. becomes 18. When you want to know a specific time of day, you can ask Che ore sono? (What time is it?). When expressing time between the hours, say the hour + minute, for example, e un quarto (and a quarter), e ventitrè (and 23), e mezzo (thirty). When you get past the half hour, start going the other say the number of minutes until the next hour, for example, say meno un quarto (a quarter to) and meno dieci (ten minutes to). You can use the following phrases as a guide when talking about time in Italian. É l'una. (It's 1 a.m.) É l'una e dieci. (It's 1:10 a.m.) É mezzogiorno. (It's noon.) É mezzogiorno e mezzo. (It's 12:30 p.m.) É mezzanotte. (It's midnight.) Sono le due. (It's 2 a.m.) Sono le due e un quarto. (It's 2:15 a.m.) Sono le quindici. (It's 3 p.m.) Sono le ventidue meno dieci. (It's 9:50 p.m.) In Italian, 9:50 p.m. is spoken as ventidue meno dieci. (9:50 p.m.) However, informally, it is usually written as 9,50. Notice that the colon has been replaced with a comma. A che ora parte il treno? (At what time does the train leave?) Parte all'una. (It leaves at 1.) A che ora inizia l'opera? (At what time does the opera begin?) Inizia alle venti. (It begins at 8 p.m.) A che ora chiude l'ostello? (At what time does the hostel close?) Chiude a mezzanotte e mezzo. (It closes at 12:30 a.m.)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

By mastering the basics of conversation in Italian, you put yourself and the person you're talking to at ease. Everyone should learn essential Italian conversational words and phrases before traveling to Italy. These words and expressions are sure to come up in most everyday conversations. Courteous phrases Being polite is just as important in Italy as anywhere else in this world. The following words and phrases cover most of the pleasantries required for polite conversation. After all, learning to say the expressions of common courtesy in Italian before traveling is just good manners. sì (yes) no (no) per favore; per piacere; per cortesia (please) Grazie (Thank you) Molte grazie (Thank you very much.) Prego! (You're welcome!) Si figuri! (It's nothing.) Mi scusi. (Excuse me.) prego (by all means) Può ripetere, per cortesia? (Can you please repeat.) Personal pronouns Once you've mastered the common pleasantries, the next important thing to learn is how to refer to people. The most common way is by using personal pronouns. In Italian, the pronouns (you and they) are complicated by gender and formality. You'll use slightly different variations of these words depending to whom you are referring and how well you know them. Io (I) lui (he) lei (she) noi (we) tu (you [singular]) lei (you [singular/formal]) voi (you (plural/informal]) loro (you (plural/formal]) loro (they) Use the informal tu (singular you) and voi (plural you) for friends, relatives, younger people, and people you know well. Use the formal lei (singular you) when speaking to people you don't know well; in situations such as in stores, restaurants, hotels, or pharmacies); and with professors, older people, and your friends' parents. The formal loro (plural you) is rarely used and is gradually being replaced by the informal voi when addressing a group of people. References to people When meeting people in Italy, be sure to use the appropriate formal title. Italians tend to use titles whenever possible. Use the Lei form when using any of the following titles. A man would be called Signore, which is the same as Mr. or Sir. An older or married woman is called Signora and a young lady is called Signorina. It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary term for referring to people based on their age, gender, or relationship to you. uomo (a man) donna (a woman) ragazzo (a boy) ragazza (a girl) bambino [M]; bambina [F] (a child) padre (a father) madre (a mother) figlio [M]; figlia [F] (child) fratello (a brother) sorella (a sister) marito (a husband) moglie (a wife) amico [M]; amica [F] (a friend) In Italian, there are four words to cover the English indefinite articles a and an. For masculine words, you would use uno if the word begins with a z or an s and a consonant and you would use un for the rest. For feminine words, you should use 'un for words beginning with a vowel and una for words beginning with a consonant. Phrases for travelers There are some Italian phrases that are particularly helpful to international travelers. Below are several phrases may come in handy during your stay in Italy. Mi scusi. (Excuse me. [Formal]) Non parlo bene l'italiano. (I don't speak Italian well.) Parla inglese? (Do you speak English? [Formal]) Parlo inglese. (I speak English.) Mi sono perso. [M]; Mi sono persa. [F] (I'm lost.) Sto cercando il mio albergo. (I'm looking for my hotel.) Sì, lo so. (Yes, I know.) Non lo so. (I don't know.) Non so dove sia. (I don't know where it is.) Non capisco. (I don't understand.) Capisco, grazie. (I understand, thanks.) Può ripetere, per cortesia? (Can you repeat, please? [Formal]) È bello. (It's beautiful.) È bellissimo. (It's very beautiful.) Vado a casa. (I'm going home.) Domani visitiamo Venezia. (We'll visit Venice tomorrow.) Due cappuccini, per favore. (Two cappuccinos, please.) Non lo so. (I don't know.) Non posso. (I can't.) Non potevo. (I couldn't.) Non lo faccio. (I won't do it.) Non dimenticare! (Don't forget!) Lei non mangia la carne. (She doesn't eat meat.) Non siamo americani. (We aren't American.) Il caffè non è buono. (The coffee isn't good.) Non è caro! (It's not expensive!) It's possible to use more than one negative in a sentence. For example, you may say Non capisce niente (He/she doesn't understand anything). Generally, you may just put non in front of your verb to negate your sentence, such as m'ama non m'ama (he/she loves me, he/she loves me not). Common places and locations It is also helpful to know the correct vocabulary for some of the common places or locations that you might need or want while traveling in Italy. banca (bank) città (city) il consolato Americano (American consulate) il ristorante (restaurant) in campagna (in the country) in città (in the city) in montagna (in the mountains) l'albergo (hotel) l'ospedale (hospital) la casa (house) la polizia (police) la stazione dei treni (train station) metropolitana (subway) museo (museum) negozio (store) paese (country) spiaggia (beach) stato (state) ufficio (office)

Article / Updated 05-01-2017

Knowing Italian greetings can make a good impression, whether you're speaking Italian for business or while traveling. The Italian culture places importance on introductions and salutations as it is often considered a foundational way of showing respect. There are different expressions you can use depending on if the situation is formal (business meeting) or informal (meeting someone at a restaurant). Offer polite greetings to friends and associates or as a way to break the ice when meeting new people. Practice using these common Italian greetings: Buongiorno! (bwohn-johr-noh) (Hello! and Good morning!) Arrivederci! (ahr-ree-veh-dehr-chee) (Goodbye!) (Formal) Ciao! (chou) (Hello! and Good-bye!) (Informal) Salve! (sahl-veh) (Hello! and Good-bye!) (Neutral) Buonasera! (bwoh-nah-seh-rah) (Good afternoon! Good evening!) (Formal) Buonanotte! (bwoh-nah-noht-teh) (Good night!) (Informal) Come si chiama? (koh-meh see kyah-mah) (What is your name?) (Formal) Come ti chiami? (koh-meh tee kyah-mee) (What is your name?) (Informal) Mi chiamo…(mee kyah-moh) (My name is. . .) Come sta? (koh-meh stah) (How are you?) (Formal) Come stai? (koh-meh stahy) (How are you?) (Informal) Bene, grazie. (beh-neh grah-tsee-eh) (Fine, thank you.)