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Archive for the 'Tips & Techniques' Category

Italian Business Language for Doing Business in Italy

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Did you land the perfect job in an Italian design firm? Do you want to start expanding your business in Italy? Are you applying for a job in Rome and need to update your CV and interviewing skills with the proper Italian business language?

We know that workplaces, job interviews, and starting a new job can be stressful. And what about talking on the phone with a client or boss? Not to mention the art of writing the perfect email or a convincing CV. Now imagine having to manage all of this in Italian… 

If you want to succeed in any of these activities, you’ll need to master the basic Italian business phrases and vocabulary.

A Woman in a Red Jacket Standing in the Center of Several People in Black Suits

Let’s do business with style!

But don’t worry! We’ve put together this practical guide on how to succeed in the Italian business world. We’ll guide you through all you need to know to be at your best in the most common business situations.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Business Words and Phrases in Italian Table of Contents
  1. First Things First
  2. Business Words and Phrases
  3. Nail a Job Interview
  4. Interacting with Coworkers
  5. Sound Smart in a Meeting
  6. How to Handle Emails and Business Phone Calls
  7. Go on a Business Trip
  8. Conclusion

1. First Things First

In any social situation, the first code that you have to learn is how to greet and address others. In a work or business situation, this is even more important. So let’s start by going over the correct way to meet and greet in Italian.

1 – Greetings

First of all, you’ll need to say hello. The best Italian business greetings for this are:

  • Buongiorno (“Hello,” but literally “Good day”) 
    • This can be used in formal and informal settings, and it’s the appropriate greeting to use until the early afternoon.
  • Buonasera (“Good evening”) 
    • This is the greeting that you start using in the late afternoon.
  • Ciao (“Hello”) 
    • This is a very informal way of greeting, and it can be used only in situations where everybody is very informal, or if you know everybody very well.

Now, if you’re in a business meeting and need to introduce yourself for the first time, here are the most common formulas:

  • Piacere (“Nice to meet you,” but literally “Pleasure”)
    • It’s actually the shorter version of the next phrase.
  • Piacere di conoscerla (“It’s a pleasure to meet you”)
  • Molto piacere (“Really nice to meet you”)
    • This is just another version of the same formula.

In professional settings, you’re expected to use the appropriate title to address professionals. Some examples include: 

  • Dottore / Dottoressa (“Doctor”) – This one is also used for anybody with a university degree.
  • Avvocato (“Lawyer”)
  • Ingegnere (“Engineer”)
  • Architetto (“Architect”)

When it’s time to leave the office, just use the most common goodbye phrases:

  • Arrivederci (“Goodbye”) is the best way to bid farewell in Italian, since it can be used in both formal and informal situations. Additionally, it can be used to address a single person or a crowd, as it literally means “We’ll see each other.”
  • If you want to be more formal, use Arrivederla, which is the same formula, but using the Lei form (which we’ll review below).
  • Ciao (“Bye”) is a good option if you’re very familiar with your coworkers. In Italian, it means both “hello” and “bye.”

Two Businesswomen Shaking Hands

Arrivederci!

2 – “Tu” or “Lei”?

Like other Romance languages, Italian has two different forms for addressing people in the second person, depending on the degree of familiarity or informality of the situation.

In professional settings, it’s normally expected for you to address everybody with the formal “you” (lei). Notice that while it looks like the pronoun for “she,” lei agrees with the gender of the person.

  • Signor Rossi, Lei è mai andato in barca a vela? (“Mr. Rossi, have you ever sailed?”)

The rule of thumb is that you formally address all people that are older than you, those who are hierarchically higher than you, and unfamiliar people in formal settings.

Nowadays, especially in typically younger workplaces (startups, design firms, new-economy, etc.), it’s becoming more and more common to address everybody informally. But just to be sure:

  • See if the people around you use tu or lei and do the same.
  • Wait for your interlocutor to ask: Possiamo darci del tu? (“Can we switch to informal you?”).

2. Business Words and Phrases

Business Phrases

Here is the most basic Italian business vocabulary you should know.

1 – The Company

Depending on your line of business, you probably work in one of these places:

  • Una società / Un’azienda / Un’impresa (“Company”)
  • Un’agenzia (“Agency”) – usually refers to marketing, advertising, or a generally creative workplace
  • Un ufficio (generic “Office”)
  • Una fabbrica (“Factory”) – not to be confused with fattoria, which means “farm”
  • Un laboratorio (“Laboratory”)

Because there are many different types of companies, you’ll probably hear the following definitions to describe a specific Italian business:

  • Società per Azioni (Spa) is a company with shares in the stock market.
  • Società a Responsabilità Limitata (Srl) is a company with limited responsibility.
  • Cooperativa (“Cooperative”)
  • Multinazionale ( “Multinational”)
  • Azienda familiare (“Family business”)
  • Un’associazione (senza fini lucrativi) (“A non-profit organization”)

2 – Let’s Talk About Work

Here’s a basic Italian business vocabulary list with the basic words and expressions for talking about work.

  • Lavorare (“To work”)
  • Lavoro / Mestiere / Occupazione (“Job”)
  • Professione (“Profession”)
  • Cercare lavoro (“To look for a job”)
  • Annuncio di lavoro (“Job listing”)
  • Assumere (“To hire”)
  • Assunzione (“Recruitment”)
  • Lavoretto [Casual] (“Job”)
  • Posizione  (“Position”)
  • Carriera (“Career”)
  • Contratto di lavoro (“Contract”)
  • Licenziare (“To fire”)
  • Licenziamento (“Dismissal”)

A Man Carrying a Box of His Office Things

Sono stato licenziato… (“I was fired…”)

3 – The Workplace

Here are some business Italian words and phrases regarding various elements in a typical workplace. For example, different positions and responsibilities, management, and the place of work itself.

  • Il personale (“The staff”)
  • Impiegato/a (“Employee”)
  • Funzionario/a (“Employee of a public service”)
  • Stagista (“Intern”)
  • Il capo (“The boss”)
  • Amministratore delegato (“CEO”) 
  • Direttore / Direttrice (“Director”)
  • Datore di lavoro (“Employer”)
  • Consiglio di amministrazione (“Board of Directors”)
  • Risorse umane (“Human Resources”)
  • Il capo del personale (“Chief of Staff”)
  • Area di marketing (“The marketing department”)
  • Area di vendita (“The sales department”)
  • Area tecnica (“The technical department”)
  • Ufficio contabilità (“The accounting department”)

4 – Talking About Money

Talking about money is inevitable when discussing jobs or business, so here’s the essential vocabulary for money talk:

  • Lo stipendio (“The salary”)
  • L’aumento di stipendio (“The salary increase”)
  • La busta paga (“The payslip”)
  • Un anticipo (“An advance payment”)
  • Detrazioni sullo stipendio (“Payroll deductions”)
A Photo Representing the Gender Pay Gap

Let’s talk about money, shall we?

  • Le tasse (“The taxes”)
  • Il budget (“The budget”)
  • Il bilancio (“The financial statement”)
  • I ricavi (“The revenues”)
  • Il costo (“The cost”)
  • Il margine (“The margin”)
  • Il profitto (“The profit”)
  • Il volume d’affari (“The turnover”)
  • Gli affari (“Business,” as in doing business)
  • Un affare (“A deal,” as in closing a deal)
  • Le azioni (“The stocks”)
  • Il mercato azionario (“The stock market”)
  • Le azioni salgono (“Stocks are rising”)
  • Le azioni scendono (“Stocks are declining”)
  • Le azioni sono crollate! (“Shares have collapsed!”)

3. Nail a Job Interview

Job Interview

So, you’ve sent your curriculum (“CV”) and have made it to a colloquio di lavoro (“job interview”) for your lavoro ideale (“dream job”) in Italy. And now? Well, you already know how to greet, introduce yourself, and properly address your interlocutor. Now it’s time to prepare for typical job interview questions and start talking about you and your past experiences!

  • Mi parli di lei. (“Tell me about yourself.”)
  • Quali sono le sue esperienze lavorative? (“What are your work experiences?”)
  • Ha esperienza professionale in questo campo? (“Do you have professional experience in this field?”)

Be prepared to answer questions about your good qualities and shortcomings:

  • Quali sono le sue migliori qualità? (“What are your best qualities?”)
  • Faccia la lista di tre suoi difetti. (“List three shortcomings.”)
  • Racconti un suo successo professionale. (“Tell me about a professional achievement.”)
  • Parli di un problema lavorativo e come lo ha superato. (“Talk about a professional problem and how you got over it.”)
  • Qual è il suo punto forte/debole? (“What is your strength/weakness?”)

Another important factor in job interviews is to show your motivation and willingness to be a team player!

  • Perché ha deciso di cambiare lavoro? (“Why have you decided to change jobs?”)
  • Perché pensa di essere la persona giusta per questa posizione? (“Why do you think you are a good fit for this position?”)
  • È abituata al lavoro di squadra? (“Are you used to teamwork?”)

An Older Woman Knitting Something

What are your hobbies?

But none of this matters if you don’t leave a good impression on your interviewer. So, be prepared to have something fun to say when you’re asked:

  • Come passa il tempo libero? (“What do you do in your free time?”)
  • Mi parli dei suoi hobby. (“Tell me about your hobbies.”)

And last but not least, don’t forget to show decisiveness in your stretta di mano (“handshake”).

4. Interacting with Coworkers

Ottimo lavoro! (“Good job!”) 

Now you’re the neo-assunto (“newly hired”) at an Italian company and it’s time to meet your colleghi (“coworkers”). 

Like in many offices around the world, it’s probable that your scrivania (“desk”) will be in an open space, with no walls (and no privacy!). This means that fare amicizia (“making friends”) with the other employees will happen a lot faster than in closed office environments, and you can help out (and ask for help) more often. 

Here’s some useful Italian for business conversations with coworkers:

  • Possiamo darci del tu? (“Can we switch to informal you?”)
  • Posso chiedere un favore? (“Can I ask you a favor?”)
  • Hai bisogno di aiuto? (“Do you need help?”)
  • Ho un problema con la stampante. (“I have a problem with the printer.”)
  • È finita la carta della fotocopiatrice. (“We are out of photocopy paper.”)
  • Facciamo una pausa caffè? (“How about a coffee break?”)
  • Ti va un’apericena dopo il lavoro? (“Are you up for a drink after work?”)

5. Sound Smart in a Meeting

Riunioni (“Meetings”) are an important part of every job. Sometimes they are brief and to the point (called briefing in Italian, too), and sometimes they are endless and pointless… But still, you need to prepare yourself for them, right?

Here are some useful phrases to help you out in Italian business meetings:

  • A che ora comincia la riunione? (“What time is the meeting?”)
  • È pronta la presentazione / il powerpoint? (“Is the slideshow ready?”)
  • In questa slide presento il grafico del 2019. (“In this slide, I show a 2019 graph.”)
  • Vorrei suggerire una modifica. (“I would like to suggest a change.”)
  • Vorrei sentire la vostra opinione. (“I would like to hear your opinion.”)
  • La riunione si farà in video-conferenza. (“The meeting will be on a video conference.”)
  • Puoi condividere lo schermo? (“Can you share your screen?”)
  • Sono d’accordo. / Non sono d’accordo. (“I agree.” / “I disagree.”)

And of course, you’ll need to talk about projects and deadlines, as well as negotiate with your supervisors:

  • Le diverse fasi del progetto (“The different stages of the project”)
  • Quando è la scadenza? [Leri!] (“When is the deadline?” [“Yesterday!”])
  • La scadenza è dietro l’angolo. (“The deadline is around the corner.”)
  • Il progetto sta andando benissimo. (“The project is going very well.”)
  • Qual è la mia funzione / il mio compito nel progetto? (“What is my role / my task in the project?”)

Sometimes it’s necessary to raise concerns:

  • Non c’è abbastanza tempo. (“There is not enough time.”)
  • Non abbiamo il budget per ___. (“We don’t have the budget for ___.”)
  • Non abbiamo le risorse per ___. (“We don’t have the resources for ___.”)
  • L’obiettivo non è realistico. (“This goal is not realistic.”)
  • C’è un errore in questi dati. (“There is a mistake in this data.”)
  • Chi prepara la documentazione? (“Who is in charge of the documentation?”)

Business People Asleep in a Meeting

Thank you for your attention…

You might even need to apologize from time to time. Don’t be afraid of it! 

  • Mi dispiace. (“I’m sorry.”)
  • Non si ripeterà. (“It won’t happen again.”)
  • Scusate il ritardo. (“Sorry I am late.”)

And at the end of the business meeting, thank and congratulate everybody:

  • Grazie della partecipazione. (“Thanks for the attendance.”)
  • Ottimo lavoro! (“Great work!”)
  • Bel lavoro di squadra! (“Good team work!”)

6. How to Handle Emails and Business Phone Calls

Among the most useful Italian business phrases are those for business phone conversations and letters/emails.

First, once and for all, let’s clear a doubt that most Italians still have: The Italian dictionary considers the forms e-mail or mail to be correct (though many people also write email…). And, in case you were wondering, it’s a feminine noun: un’e-mail / la mail. Note that some people still call it la posta elettronica. Very retro, isn’t it?

Here are a few Italian business email phrases that are sure to come in handy:

  • Devo rispondere a un mare di e-mail. (“I have to answer a ton of emails.”)
  • Mi dai la tua e-mail? (“Can you give me your email address?”)
  • Il destinatario (“The recipient”)
  • Il mittente (“The sender”)
  • L’oggetto (“The object”) 
  • il corpo della mail (“The body of the email”)
  • Ho dimenticato l’allegato… (“I forgot the attachment…”)

Emails and formal letters tend to use many of the same formulas for addressing the recipient: 

  • Spettabile (“Esteemed”) is used when we are addressing a company or firm.
  • Gentile (“Dear,” but literally “Kind”) is used when we are addressing a woman. It can be followed by her title and name.
    • Gentile Sig.ra Maria Rossi
    • Gentile Dott.ssa Anna Verdi
    • Gentile Arch. Carla Bianchi
  • Egregio (“Dear,” but literally “Egregious”) is used when we are addressing a man. It can be followed by his title and name.
    • Egregio Sig. Mario Rossi
    • Egregio Prof. Luca Verdi
    • Egregio Avv. Gino Bianchi

You can write whatever you want in your letter or email, but make sure the closing follows the conventions of Italian business correspondence. Here are some formulas for a proper Italian business email sign off or letter closure that you can copy-paste (copia e incolla) in your emails/letters. We’ll start with the most formal and end with the most relaxed and friendly:

  • In attesa di un Suo riscontro, voglia gradire i miei più cordiali saluti. (“Pending your feedback, please accept my best regards.”)
  • La ringrazio per l’attenzione e La saluto cordialmente. (“Thank you for your attention and best wishes.”)
  • Distinti saluti. (“Yours sincerely.”)
  • Cordiali saluti. (“Best regards.”)
  • Grazie e a presto. (“Thank you, see you soon.”)

When using formal language, you’re supposed to capitalize the initial letter of the personal pronoun (Suo, La, etc.). But nowadays, some people consider it to be very archaic and prefer not to. (Like me, for example!) 😉

The good thing about writing an email is that you have time to think about what you want to say and to make corrections before sending it. Not so for phone calls, where you have to be on your toes and prepared to improvise. 

To help you out, here are the essential phrases for handling any phone call with no stress at all!

  • Pronto? (“Hello?”) – Literally, it means “ready,” and you better be ready for what comes next…
  • Con chi parlo? (“Whom am I talking to?”)
  • In cosa posso aiutarla? (“How can I help you?”)
  • Posso parlare con ___, per favore? (“May I please talk to ___?”)
  • Può/puoi passarmi ___, per favore? (“Can you please pass me [to]  ___?”)
  • Un attimo. / Resti in linea. (“One moment.” / “Hold on.”)
  • Al momento non è al suo posto / alla scrivania. (“At the moment, he/she is not at his/her desk.”)
  • Vuole lasciare un messaggio? (“Do you want to leave a message?”)
  • Disturbo? / È occupato/a? (“Am I bothering you?” / “Are you busy?”)

A Woman Working Late at Night

Just one more email…

7. Go on a Business Trip

Many job descriptions include the need for traveling (disponibilità a viaggiare). Business trips can be a lot of fun, but let’s face it: sometimes they turn out to be nightmares. But let’s stay positive and prepare for a really nice viaggio di lavoro (“business trip”).

When you go on a business trip, you might go to visit other offices of your company:

  • La sede (“The head office”)
  • La succursale (“The branch”)
  • La filiale (“The subsidiary”)

You might go to an event:

  • La conferenza (“The conference”)
  • Il convegno (“The convention”)
  • Un corso di aggiornamento (“A refresher course”)
  • Una fiera internazionale (“An international fair”)

No matter the reason or location, you’ll need to get organized and make a few arrangements:

  • Prenotare il volo / l’albergo (“Book the flight / the hotel”)
    • Hai prenotato il volo per Roma? (“Did you book your flight to Rome?”)
    • Ho prenotato l’albergo a nome Rossi. (“I booked the hotel on behalf of Rossi.”)
  • Il check-in (“Check-in”)
    • A che ora apre il check-in? (“What time does the check-in open?”)
  • Un pranzo di lavoro (“A business lunch”)
    • Ho incontrato il cliente ad un pranzo di lavoro. (“I met the client at a business lunch.”)
  • Incontrare all’aeroporto (“Meet at the airport”)
    • Possiamo incontrarci all’aeroporto e prendere un taxi insieme? (“Can we meet at the airport and share a taxi?”)

And then it’s time to go back home:

  • Comprare un souvenir all’ultimo minuto (“Buy a last-minute souvenir”)
  • Conservare gli scontrini (“Saving the receipts”)
  • Chiedere il rimborso spese (“Ask for reimbursement”)

8. Conclusion

How do you feel about Italian business language now? Are you ready to plunge into business letters and emails, phone calls, and coffee breaks? In this guide, you’ve learned the most common and useful business phrases in Italian, and you’re now ready to go to work and get down to business in Italian!

Are there other phrases or expressions that we missed? If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave us a comment below!

And don’t forget to take advantage of all the free resources on ItalianPod101.com. Here, you’ll find grammar lessons, vocabulary lists, and tons of audio and video material to get you ready to spend the time of your life in Italy.

Do you need more? With our Premium PLUS service, you can have unlimited access to a teacher and one-on-one coaching. With MyTeacher, you’ll learn at your own pace with fast, fun, and easy lessons, and at the same time get personalized feedback and advice.

Keep up the good work!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Business Words and Phrases in Italian

Learn Italian: YouTube Channels to Improve Your Skills

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The best way to learn a new language is by immersing oneself in that language and culture. 

Have you already browsed through the huge library of audio and video lessons on ItalianPod101? We provide a variety of content that will help you learn Italian grammar and vocabulary, improve your comprehension skills, and discover new cultural insights. 

But did you know that as you learn Italian, YouTube can be another great tool? Yes! And the ItalianPod101 YouTube channel is the best place to study Italian on YouTube. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s fun! Whether you’re a beginner, an intermediate learner, or an advanced student, you’ll find many videos suited to your needs: 

  • Live streams
  • Vocabulary and grammar lessons
  • Videos that focus on cultural aspects of life in Italy

Of course, we aren’t the only Italian YouTube channel around! In this article, we’ll guide you through some of the best Italian YouTube channels and give you tips on how to use them in conjunction with your ItalianPod101 lessons. The best part? Learning this way is fun! 

You know how, when you start watching a single video on YouTube, it’s difficult to stop? Well, you can use that to your advantage. Videos can be a fantastic source of original, varied, and real content that will help with the immersion process that’s so crucial to language-learning. 

Let’s get started.

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Italian Table of Contents
  1. GialloZafferano
  2. Marco Bianchi
  3. Julie Demar
  4. La Repubblica
  5. Zecchino d’Oro
  6. Zelig
  7. thePillow
  8. Luca Ventrella Outdoors
  9. Effetto Notte
  10. ItalianPod101
  11. Conclusion

1. GialloZafferano

Category: Food & Recipes
Level: Everyone

Italian and cooking are two words that go together perfectly, so it just makes sense to start this list with an Italian cooking YouTube channel. And not just any cooking channel, but one that’s consistently in the top results when you search for any Italian recipe. Carbonara, lasagne, pizza, focaccia, tiramisùyou’ll find everything there.

And you know, recipes are one of the easiest things to understand in any language. On the GialloZafferano channel, you’ll find simple instructions and limited vocabulary, both of which often appear on the screen as they’re being said. GialloZafferano is the number-one Food and Recipes YouTube channel in Italy, featuring many famous chefs (especially TV chefs) who contribute their cooking tips and secrets. You can even watch live stream videos for a chance to interact with the chefs and other viewers…in Italian, of course!

Are you ready to learn Italian with a recipe of TIRAMISÙ CLASSICO (“Classic Tiramisù”)?

2. Marco Bianchi

Category: Nutrition & Health
Level: Everyone

The YouTuber Marco Bianchi used to be a food blogger. Food is still his passion (and mine!), but now he focuses on health tips and how food can help people achieve better living when combined with a healthy lifestyle. And why not learn Italian with a few rules about natural foods, exercise, and good nutrition? 

His videos are quite short and easy to understand since he uses simple and direct language, even when he’s talking about the science behind his suggestions. For example, check out this short video where Marco, from inside his kitchen, explains the ten golden rules for preventing various diseases. It can help benefit your health and it’s a good way to review numbers in Italian.

3. Julie Demar

Category: Lifestyle & Culture
Level: Intermediate

This is a really fun channel for those who want to learn Italian with YouTube videos and like a little bit of everything! Julie started this channel by sharing her reading choices and talking about books in general. But, as her channel grew bigger, she started talking about other topics, mainly based on viewers’ questions. So you’ll find videos about cooking, house remodeling, her favorite TV series, and much more. 

If you subscribe to this channel, you’ll become one of her cactuses (the cute nickname she gives her followers). Julie’s very interactive, and you can ask her questions about any one of her usual topics.

She speaks a little fast at times, but it’s definitely great listening practice for intermediate learners. And she uses all of the Italian gestures so typical in Italian culture. Trust me: It’s a lot of fun!

Reading is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a language. It exposes you to vocabulary and grammar structures without you even noticing. If you need a suggestion for a good Italian book to read, Julie definitely has you covered!

4. La Repubblica

Category: News & Culture
Level: Intermediate & Advanced

Accurate information is extremely important in this day and age, and with all of the fake news around, you need to look for trustworthy sources if you want to know the real Italian facts. That’s exactly what this YouTube channel offers, since La Repubblica is one of the most prestigious Italian newspapers.

Besides news about Italy and the rest of the world, you can find in-depth videos on a variety of topics, including cooking, religion, geopolitics, and travel. We recommend this channel for more advanced learners, but it’s really not too difficult to understand if you watch news on topics that you’re already familiar with (such as news about your own country, celebrities, movies, or the weather). By the way, if you want to learn more about the weather, check out our relevant blog post!

Are you unable to visit Italy, but really want to see the great Raffaello exhibit? No problem! In this video from the La Republica channel, an expert will walk you through his works and teach you about his art. And did you know that you can practice listening to the Italian audio with automatic subtitles? You just need to click on the CC button on the bottom of the video.

5. Zecchino d’Oro

Category: Children’s Songs
Level: Beginner

Zecchino d’Oro is a traditional children’s singing competition that takes place every year. It’s been broadcasted on Italian television for over sixty years. Yes, you read that correctly: sixty years! But, watching this channel, you wouldn’t know that it’s so traditional, because all of the songs—old and new—have been remixed and edited as cartoons or stop-motion animations.

This is a fun channel for young learners and not-so-young learners alike, because you can practice Italian by memorizing and singing simple songs. The songs featured on this channel are really funny and cute, and their basic vocabulary will help you understand the language and improve your Italian, even as a beginner.

Check out this hilarious video about the Marmellata Innamorata (“Jam in Love”), and you’ll immediately find yourself in a good mood.

6. Zelig

Category: Comedy
Level: Intermediate & Advanced

Zelig was a popular comedy TV show that took its name from a famous night club in Milan where comedians did their standup. It’s no longer on TV, but now the show lives on through this YouTube channel, with a selection of older TV sketches and newer content. Italians are funny people, and they’re always ready to tell a barzelletta (“joke”)—usually about themselves!

You’ll find a gallery of funny characters, hear all kinds of regional accents, and even pick up a few words in certain dialects…and, of course, a few parolacce (“swear words”). After all, they are a part of communication, too.

This is one of the best funny Italian YouTube channels out there, but it’s for more advanced learners. This is because, as with most comedies, there’s a lot of wordplay, cultural references, and regional slang. But it’s definitely a good way to dramatically improve your language skills. (And your mood!)

7. thePillow

Category: Travel & Culture
Level: Beginner & Intermediate

This YouTube channel gives you the chance to travel around Italy with Daniel as he goes in search of traditional, peculiar, and interesting facts. He talks to Italians in big cities and small villages, he interviews  tourists visiting Italy, and he goes around the world filming conversations about what people know and think about Italy and its most-known traditions. As you watch this channel, you may find yourself learning Italian with a different perspective. 

Daniel speaks in a very clear way, making his videos great listening practice for beginners.

Are you eager to learn where you can buy the cheapest espresso and which Italian village is the smallest? Or maybe you want to know why Italians are crazy drivers, and how many people have actually driven a Ferrari? Then this is the perfect Italian YouTube channel for you!

8. Luca Ventrella Outdoors

Category: Outdoor Adventure
Level: Beginner & Intermediate

On this great channel, Luca shows that a different lifestyle is possible—that you can be closer to nature, enjoy simple pleasures, and cook outdoors, all while respecting the silence and peace of the mountains. You can follow him through the most hidden and beautiful northern Italian mountains; you can even watch live events, such as when he broadcasts from the peak of a mountain.  

Some of his videos simply feature the beautiful images and sounds of nature, and others will give you tips on simple living. You can learn Italian alongside beekeeping, how to make a fire, or how to mount a tent in the snow! 

Another reason we recommend this channel for Italian-learners is that it’s very interactive. You can interact with Luca and his followers by sending messages and questions.

9. Effetto Notte

Category: Cinema
Level: Intermediate & Advanced

Do you like Italian cinema? Are you a Fellini fan? Do you really enjoy Spaghetti Westerns

Then the Effetto Notte YouTube channel is the place for you! Here, you’ll find interviews of the most important actors, directors, and professionals in Italian cinema. Everything you need to know about the Italian film scene is right here, including film reviews and news about upcoming festivals. 

Plus, watching (or even better, rewatching) a movie is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the Italian language and culture. By following this channel, you’ll constantly have the perfect tips on what to watch next.

The language used on this channel might not be the easiest, but actors have great diction, so this will help you practice your comprehension and pronunciation skills. And, if you want to practice with famous Italian movie lines, check out our fun blog article!

10. ItalianPod101

Category: Language (the best!)
Level: Intermediate & Advanced

Okay, so far we’ve told you how to improve your Italian with food, nature, song, comedy, book, and movie channels. But there’s a channel where you’ll find all of the above topics in a single place: the ItalianPod101 YouTube channel

This is the best YouTube channel to learn Italian, with a mix of fun and culture, grammar and practice, vocabulary and fun facts. You’ll find many enthusiastic young professionals, talking to you directly and explaining all you need to know to start learning Italian (or to improve what you already know).

By browsing the channel’s playlists, you can choose the videos that are most suited to your level and needs, and then go back and rewatch them anytime you need to brush up on the topic. And the best thing is that you can interact with the channel by asking questions or talking with other viewers—other students of Italian, just like you!

11. Conclusion

Now for some final words about using YouTube channels as a complement to learning Italian: It’s a great way to practice with authentic people speaking authentic Italian. The images help you make sense of what you hear, you can interact (in Italian!) with YouTubers or other viewers, you can rewind and rewatch anytime you need, and you can even turn on the CC (closed caption) feature to have the automatic subtitles appear (although, being automatic, it’s not always correct…).

And now we would like to hear from you. How do you use YouTube channels to learn Italian? Do you have other suggestions or requests? Let us know in the comments below. 🙂

And don’t forget: When you need more grammar and vocabulary insights, the ItalianPod101 YouTube channel is definitely the best channel for learning Italian. Also make sure to check out our website, ItalianPod101.com, with all of its free resources. For example, practice your grammar and vocabulary with our easy and fun vocabulary lists.

Arrivederci e buona visione!
(“Goodbye and enjoy the videos!”)

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Is Italian Hard to Learn?

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In this article, we’re going to dismantle some common misconceptions about learning a new language, with a focus on Italian. We’ll start with a big question: “Is Italian hard to learn?”

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Learning Italian Table of Contents
  1. Is Italian a Difficult Language to Learn? (Spoiler…the answer is “No”)
  2. What are the Hardest and Easiest Parts of Learning Italian?
  3. This is Why Learning Italian is Easy!
  4. Here’s Why Italian is Hard to Learn
  5. I Want to Learn Italian. Where Should I Start?
  6. Why is ItalianPod101 Great for Learning Italian?
  7. Conclusion

1. Is Italian a Difficult Language to Learn? (Spoiler…the answer is “No”)

So, you’ve finally decided to jump into learning a new language, and your first choice is Italian (a great choice, by the way). Now, with your foot in the door, you’re wondering whether Italian is a hard language to learn. 

The short answer here is “No!” Anybody can learn Italian, especially after getting through our quick and definitive guide on how to succeed. And our first piece of advice is this: Independent of your goal, learning a new language is a journey, so have fun with it!

Of course, there are some variables that have an impact on how easily or quickly you’re going to master Italian, but the good news is that you’ll definitely get there—and you’ll have great fun in the process.

First, let’s take a brief look at the main factors that affect the way one learns and perceives a new language:

  • → predisposition: We all know that learning a language just comes easier to some people than it does for others. They have that something…it’s like having a good ear for music or a good sense of direction. But don’t worry, even if that might give them a little jumpstart, there are lots of other variables that contribute to one’s perceived difficulty of a language.

  • → motivation: Whether you were born with a knack for languages or not, being very motivated can help you learn quickly and with ease. Imminent moves to Italy, the prospect of a job abroad, or an Italian boyfriend/girlfriend have always been fantastic motivators!

  • → how close your native language is to Italian: of course, if you speak another of the Romance languages (French, Spanish, or Portuguese, for example), Italian will be easier for you because you’ll find many similarities.
A Couple Walking Together Down a Road

Learning a language is a journey. Have fun with it!

2. What are the Hardest and Easiest Parts of Learning Italian?

But what if you don’t speak one of the Romance languages? Is Italian hard to learn for English-speakers?

We have good news: The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) considers Italian to be one of the easiest languages for English-speakers to learn. In fact, they estimate that you just need twenty-four weeks (or 600 hours) to acquire basic fluency. So after that amount of time, you should be able to sustain a simple conversation and get by in various Italian language situations.

Well, in the end, these are just numbers and everybody has a different learning pace and different needs. But that said, let’s see in full detail what the easiest and hardest parts of learning Italian are—and what strategies you can use to tackle any Italian difficulty you face.

Let’s start with the good news:

3. This is Why Learning Italian is Easy!

Here are a few aspects of the Italian language you can rejoice about as a new learner. 

1 – Pronunciation 

Italian pronunciation is not only beautiful and very musical, but it’s also easy! 

Why? Mainly because everything is pronounced the same way it’s written, and there are no strange exceptions as there are in languages like English or French. In Italian, there are clear and basic rules to follow, and the most important thing to remember is that every letter is pronounced (except for “h”). In addition, almost every word ends with a vowel, which is what makes the Italian language so beautiful. 

2 – Simple Tricks to Easily Guess the Italian Word

Italian, like all other Romance languages, comes from Latin. It’s actually the one language among them that’s closest to Latin.

Black and White Image Representing a Group of People in the Middle Ages

Can I borrow these words? Please…?

Since the Middle Ages, English has borrowed a great number of words from Latin and incorporated them into everyday language. You might not realize it, but there are lots and lots of English words that you use every day that come from Latin. Thus, these words are very similar to the corresponding Italian word.

This means that you can reverse the process and guess the Italian word, starting from a Latin-derived English one. And this process is super-easy because there are simple tricks for translating suffixes (the final part we attach to a word to slightly change its meaning) and getting the correct Italian word every time. 

Let’s see how easy it is:

English EndingItalian EndingEnglish WordItalian Word
-ity-ità“abilityabilità
-tion
-ption
-ction
-zione“station
“action
“corruption
stazione
azione
corruzione
-ly-mente“legallylegalmente
-ism-ismo“alpinismalpinismo
-ist-ista“dentistdentista

3 – Do You Know Another Romance Language?

If you’ve already studied another Romance language, such as Spanish, French, or Portuguese, learning Italian will be much easier for you. Just consider these factors: 

  • the alphabet is the same (and it’s also the same as English’s alphabet, by the way)
  • the vocabulary has a lot in common
  • the use of some tenses is similar across the board
  • the concept that everything has a gender remains intact
  • the concept of agreement also remains 
A Man Hiding Flowers Behind His Back for His Girlfriend

Are you ready for some Romance…languages?

Here are a few examples:

ItalianSpanishPortugueseFrench
cantare (“to sing”) cantarcantarchanter
dormire (“to sleep”)dormirdormirdormir
luna (“moon”)lunalualune
mare (“sea”)marmarmer

So, if you know any of the words above, you’ll definitely have a much easier time learning Italian than those not familiar with other Romance languages. Knowing another Romance language will give you a great advantage! 

4. Here’s Why Italian is Hard to Learn

Like any other foreign language (I’m putting a little stress on the “foreign” part), Italian also presents some challenges to the learner. 

But I’m sure that you’ll overcome these challenges with little problem. 

The important thing here is not to become overwhelmed because, with just a little study and practice, things will get much easier for you. Having said that, here are some of the things that make Italian hard to learn for some people, and that require a little more effort on the learner’s part.

1 – Everything Has a Gender 

This might drive an English-speaker crazy, but it’s quite common in many languages (and not only Romance languages, mind you!). Everything in Italian has an assigned grammatical gender, either masculine or feminine. 

We can all agree that it’s hard to make sense of the criteria behind the assigned gender. Why is la sedia (“the chair”) feminine, while il tavolo (“the table”) is masculine? And if it makes sense that i pantaloni (“the pants”) is masculine while la gonna (“the skirt”) is feminine, can someone please explain why il vestito (“the dress”) is masculine, but la giacca (“the blazer”) is feminine?

The good news, however, which you might have already noticed, is that it’s not too difficult to guess the gender of a word because the ending generally gives it away. 

  • If it ends in -o, it’s masculine.
  • If it ends in -a, it’s feminine.

2 – Everything Has to Agree 

Once you’ve gotten the hang of word gender, you have to start paying attention to all the other elements of the sentence that need to agree with it: articles, adjectives, past participles, etc.

It might seem like a lot of work at the beginning, but it’s actually quite automatic after a while. You just remember that most of the ending vowels must be the same (unless it’s one of those names or adjectives ending in -e):

    La mia bella casa è spaziosa e colorata (ma mi è costata carissima).
    “My beautiful house is spacious and colorful (but it cost me a lot).”

3 – Double or Nothing!

For a non-Italian speaker, it’s always a bit difficult to hear the difference between a single or double consonant. They are very frequent in the Italian language, and sometimes missing the double can change the meaning of a word. For example:

  • pane (“bread”) vs. panne (“breakdown”)
  • cane (“dog”) vs. canne (“canes”)
  • copia (“copy”) vs. coppia (“couples”)

But even if it appears that only Italians are able to hear the difference, and they immediately know if it’s one or the other, this is a minor mistake. One that we can all live with!

4 – The Subjunctive (And How to Survive Without It)

Many Italian students consider the subjunctive a true bestia nera (literally “black beast,” referring to something nightmarish, something that everybody is afraid of). 

This is mainly due to the fact that it’s virtually nonexistent in English. And besides, the rule on how to apply it isn’t always crystal-clear. Basically, the subjunctive is used to express subjectivity, uncertainty, doubt, will, desire, etc. The subjunctive is very often introduced by the conjunction che (“that”).

A Man Lying in Desert Sand, Out of Water

I bet he needs a Subjunctive Survival Kit!

But don’t worry! Even in this case, there are little tricks you can implement to make life easier, such as:

  • Learning a few prefabricated sentence patterns:
    • Credo che sia giusto. (“I think it’s fair.”)
    • Penso che tu abbia ragione. (“I think you are right.”)
    • Bisogna che i ragazzi si sveglino presto. (“It’s necessary that the kids get up early.”)
  • Learning the little tricks to avoid using the subjunctive altogether! 🙂
    • Credo che sia giusto. >> Secondo me è giusto.
    • Penso che tu abbia ragione. >> Per me hai ragione.
    • Bisogna che i ragazzi si sveglino presto. >> I ragazzi devono svegliarsi presto.

5 – What About the Rolled R?

Why haven’t we included the rolled R among the challenging parts of Italian? Well, even if it stresses out some students, this is actually not a problem at all. Even some Italians can’t roll their R (it’s called erre moscia). And, don’t worry, everybody will understand you, whether you roll it like a pro or just use your basic anglophone R.

5. I Want to Learn Italian. Where Should I Start?

So, now that we’ve got the challenging parts of learning Italian out of the way, it’s time to give you some basic strategies to help you learn Italian in a quick, easy, and fun way.

1 – Learn the Basic Structure

You can start taking a course, going through a textbook, or using a great variety of free online resources, but from the very beginning, you should start paying attention to the basic patterns of the Italian language and practice with them. Start easy and keep adding more and more features as you go on. This way, you can go from making basic sentences to more complex ones. 

2 – Memorize the Top 100 Basic Words

One way to quickly get a grasp of Italian is to memorize the top 100 basic words. This will help you build simple sentences and start a conversation, and it will also make it easier to understand what you’re hearing and reading. The best way is to learn words divided into categories that are related to your immediate environment. For example:

3 – Learn the Basic Conjugations

Verbs are the cement that keeps sentences together, so you might want to tackle them right away. It’s true that, for an English-speaker (who virtually doesn’t have to bother with conjugations in his/her language at all), Italian conjugation might seem like a lot of work. But you can start gradually, concentrating on what’s most important. Here it goes, start with the present and past tense conjugations of: 

  • auxiliary verbs: essere and avere (“to be” and “to have”)
  • modal verbs: 
    • volere (“to want”) 
    • potere (“to be able to”) 
    • sapere (“to know how”) 
    • dovere (“to have to”) 

Okay, you’re right, they’re quite irregular and might be a bit complicated to memorize. But once you have them in your head, you’ll be able to start speaking tons of different phrases right away. 

4 – Don’t Be Shy

To learn a language, you have to practice, and to practice, you have to speak. So, once you’ve learned the basic structure, memorized the first 100 words, and are familiar with auxiliaries and modal verbs, it’s time to take the plunge. 

So what if, in the beginning, you’re using the wrong verb or mispronouncing a word? That’s just part of the learning process! So, lose your inhibitions and shamelessly dive into a conversation with the first Italian you meet.

5 – Have Fun with it!

Learning a new language is like assembling a puzzle: it can be a very entertaining mental exercise. And the most fun part is that you get to “play” with a great variety of materials and media.

A Man and Woman Dressed in Costumes and Line Dancing

Time to lose your inhibitions and have fun learning Italian!

From the very beginning, you should try to read and listen to authentic material as often as possible: being exposed to the language is the best way to memorize vocabulary and patterns. And the best part is that you don’t even realize that you’re learning!

These are some excellent ways to get authentic Italian content: 

And don’t worry if, at the beginning, you only understand about ten percent of what you’re reading or listening to. Try to focus on keywords, pay attention to the articles, look at verbs and how they conjugate, look for words that are similar to English, and finally, listen or watch for the basic words you’ve recently learned. It’s just like a Lego building: you keep adding different little bricks until you get the result you want.

6. Why is ItalianPod101 Great for Learning Italian?

Finally, what are the best tools for solving this wonderful puzzle? To put together all the pieces that, combined, will give you basic fluency? Because this is a complex task, the best strategy is to use all the tools you have available to you. 

And guess what? We have just the right tools to make your Italian-learning experience fast, easy, and fun. 

ItalianPod101.com is a great place to learn Italian, because we offer you a great variety of tools to ensure that you learn at your own pace, in your own time, and with an approach that’s tailored to your needs and goals.

  • →  An Integrated Approach
    One of the distinguishing traits of ItalianPod101 is that we offer an integrated approach. This means that each lesson combines activities based on the four basic language skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking) using podcasts, videos, texts, and practice exercises. This combination allows you to learn in a very effective way because it’s a natural approach—and much more fun than traditional learning methods!
  • → A Great Variety of Free Content
    ItalianPod101 offers so many resources for learners at every level that you’re sure to find the tool that’s best for your specific needs. You’ll find grammar lessons, vocabulary lists, customizable flashcards, texts, videos, and audio lessons. It’s all available on your computer, your smartphone and, in the case of our downloadable lessons, offline.
  • → Premium Personal Coaching
    If you’re looking for something more personalized, ItalianPod101 has the perfect solution for you! With our Premium service, you’ll enter the Fast Track to Fluency program and gain access to your own teacher and guided learning system.

Besides the regular lessons, you’ll have direct interaction with your personal teacher, weekly assignments, and ongoing assessment of your progress. 

7. Conclusion

In this article, I wanted to show you that, even though there are some challenges when you start learning Italian, anybody can reach basic fluency with a little practice, no inhibitions, and—especially—the right tools.

How do you feel about trying to learn Italian now? More confident, or do you still have questions or concerns? Reach out to us in the comments, and we’ll get back to you! 

We’ve selected for you a great variety of free resources covering all aspects of Italian grammar and vocabulary to help you in this adventure. We also provide flashcards to help you learn words in context and mobile applications so you can always have ItalianPod101 at hand.

So, don’t be shy. Jump right into it, because learning Italian is easy with ItalianPod101!

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Most Common Questions in Italian And How to Answer Them

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Conversation isn’t a one way street. Hopefully, it is more like a tennis match: you ask something, get an answer and ask another question, you answer and ask something else, and so on. Questions are the fundamental building blocks to getting to know someone, establishing common ground, finding out something new or interesting and, simply, getting the flow of conversation going.

Questions in Italian follow no particular pattern—no word order inversion, and no adding of extra words. You simply change your intonation and make it sound like a question. For example,

    Sei matto! (“You are crazy!”)
    Sei matto? (“Are you crazy?”)

Just a little change in the punctuation (and in the intonation) here makes all the difference.

And then, of course, you have some typical Italian gestures that underline and strengthen the emphasis on the question.

In this guide, you’ll learn all the basic questions in Italian, the question words, and how to ask questions about the most common topics with lots of useful examples. So, let’s start learning how to ask questions in Italian and how to answer them!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Beginner Vocabulary in Italian Table of Contents
  1. Basic Italian Question Words
  2. The Eight Most Common Question Topics
  3. Conclusion

1 – Basic Italian Question Words

Let’s start with the main interrogative pronouns. These are short but very important words that serve to introduce questions (direct or indirect). They are mostly static words (that do not need to be changed) and can substitute things or people.

Cosa
Che
(“What?”)
Cosa/Che facciamo stasera?
(“What are we doing tonight?”)
Cosa and Che mean exactly the same thing as interrogatve pronouns. But note that cosa literally means “thing” and it’s a very useful word to use when you forget the word for something…
Chi
(“Who”)
Chi ha mangiato la marmellata?
(“Who ate the jam?”)
Come
(“How”)
Come ti chiami?
(“What’s your name?”)
Quale/i
(“What/Which”)
Quale preferisci?
(“Which one do you prefer?”)
Quanto/a/i/e
(“How many,” “How much”)
Quanti gatti hai?
(“How many cats do you have?”)
Dove
(“Where”)
Dov’è la fermata del tram?
(“Where is the tramway stop?”)
Quando
(“When”)
Quando torni in Italia?
(“When do you come back to Italy?”)
Perché
(“Why”)
Perché non mi rispondi?
(“Why don’t you answer me?)
Perché means both “why” and “because”: Perché non mi rispondi? Perché non voglio! (“Why don’t you answer me? Because I don’t want to!”)


woman looking up and question marks flowing around

We have so many questions…

2 –  The Eight Most Common Question Topics 

In this section, we are going to list all the most common topics that might come up in a conversation, and we will give you examples of the most typical questions (and answers) in Italian. 

For each topic, you’ll find examples of possible answers so that you can start imagining how you would deal with it yourself. A good exercise is to try and come up with answers of your own, using the vocabulary and structures you’ll learn today.

1st Encounter

1 – What’s Your Name & Personal Questions

The first questions that you want to ask and answer are probably going to be personal questions when you are first introduced to someone. You might also want to know how to spell someone’s name and their age. However, asking for someone’s age might be a sensitive topic for some people…

  • Come ti chiami? (“What is your name?”)
    Mi chiamo / Sono Beatrice. (“My name is / I am Beatrice”)

  • Come si scrive il tuo nome? (“How to spell your name?”)
    Ti faccio lo spelling. (“I’ll spell it for you.”)
    Attenzione, devi mettere l’acca. (“Attention, you have to put the H.”)
    Si scrive con la doppia T. (“You spell it with a double T.”)

Italians don’t usually need to ask for word spelling, as in Italian every single letter is clearly pronounced and so it is immediately clear what the exact spelling is. For a foreigner, the most complicated Italian sounds to recognize are a few diphthongs (combination of letters) such as CI vs. CHI (the sounds tch vs. ki), SCI (the sound sh), GI vs. GHI (the sounds dj vs. hard G as in “give”) and—of course—double consonants.

  • Come si pronuncia il tuo nome? (“How do you pronounce your name?”)
    Si pronuncia … (“It is pronounced …”)
  • Come ti chiami di cognome? (“What’s your last name?”)

  • Quanti anni hai? (“How old are you?”)
    Ho 27 anni. (“I’m 27.”)

Birthday chocolate cake with a lighted candle shaped as a question mark.

Quanti anni hai? (“How old are you?”)

2 – Where Are You From?

Next up, let’s look at a very common topic in conversation among foreigners: questions about origin and whereabouts:

  • Di dove sei? (“Where are you from?”)
    Sono americano/spagnolo/portoghese. (“I’m American/Spanish/Portuguese.”)
  • Di che paese sei? (“What country are you from?”)
    Francia. (“France.”)

  • Di che città sei?
    Sono di Palermo. (“I am/come from Palermo.”)

  • Da dove vieni? (“Where do you come from?”)
    Vengo da New York / dal Brasile. (“I come from New York / from Brazil.”)
  • Dov’è il tuo paese? Dove si trova il tuo paese? (“Where is your country? Where is your country located?”)
    Il mio paese si trova in Asia / nel sud America. (“My country is located in Asia / South America.”)

  • Qual è la tua nazionalità? (“What is your nationality?”)
    Ho la nazionalità americana/spagnola/portoghese. (“I have American/Spanish/Portuguese nationality.”)
  • Sei stato in / a? (“Have you ever been to?”)
    The use of prepositions is not necessarily similar in different languages. Remember that, in Italian, we use in to talk about being in or going to a country >> Sono, vado in Italia. (“I am in / I go to Italy.”) while we use a to talk about being in or going to a city >> Sono, vado a Roma. (“I am in / I go to Rome.”)

  • Hai visitato la Toscana? (“Have you visited Tuscany?”)
    ► No, ma voglio andarci l’anno prossimo. (“No, but I want to go next year.”)

  • Sei mai stato in Cina? (“Have you ever been to China ?”)
    ► Ci sono stato tre anni fa. (“I was there three years ago.”)

  • Sei già stato a Roma? (“Have you already been to Rome?”)
    ► Certo! È la mia città preferita. (“Of course! It is my favorite city.”)

  • Conosci il Giappone? (“Do you know Japan?”)

3- Do You Speak…?

If you are travelling, or living, working, or studying abroad, one of the very first questions will be about the languages spoken, and whether people speak English. This conversation will also let you learn important information on where and how to study languages.

A stack of six different language dictionaries.

Parlo 6 lingue.  (“I speak six languages.”)

  • Parli (bene) l’italiano? (“Do you speak Italian (well)?”)
    ► Parlo bene l’italiano. (“I speak Italian well.”)
    ► Parlo un poco il francese. (“I speak a little French.”)
    ► Sono fluente. (“I am fluent.”)
    ► Così così. (“So-so.”)
    ► Solo qualche parola. (“Only a few words.”)
  • Che lingua si parla nel tuo paese? (“What language is spoken in your country?”)
    ► In Tunisia, si parla arabo e francese. (“In Tunisia, we speak Arabic and French.”)

  • Quante lingue parli? (“How many languages do you speak?”)

  • È difficile imparare il [ ]? (“Is it difficult to learn [ ]?”)
    ► Un po’, soprattutto la grammatica. (“A little, especially the grammar.”)
    ► È facile! Io ho imparato con ItalianPod101. (“It’s easy! I learned with ItalianPod101.”)
  • Da quanto tempo studi l’italiano? (“How long have you studied Italian?”)
    ► Da due anni. (“Two years.”)
    ► Ho cominciato due anni fa. (“I started two years ago.”)
    ► L’ho studiato per tre anni. (“I studied it for three years.”)
  • Dove hai studiato l’italiano? (“Where did you study Italian?”)
    ► Ho studiato italiano all’università / in una scuola di lingue / con l’app ItalianPod101!
    (“I studied Italian at the university / in a language school / with the ItalianPod101 app!”)

  • Quando hai imparato a parlare l’italiano? (“When did you learn to speak Italian?”)
    ► Ho imparato da piccola. (“I learned when I was a kid.”)

Introducing Yourself

4 – Do You Like… ?

You can learn a lot from people, just by asking what they like and listening to their answers. In order to do that, you first might want to practice the particular construction of the Italian verb mi piace (“I like”). It is an impersonal verb that literally translates to “it pleases me”. So you have to remember to change the verb, depending on what you like. 

    Mi piace la pizza. (singular, “I like pizza.”)
    Mi piacciono gli spaghetti. (plural, “I like spaghetti.”)
  • Ti piace Roma? (“Do you like Rome?”)
    ►Mi piace, anche se è un po’ caotica. (“I like it, even if it’s a bit chaotic.”)

  • Come ti sembra Milano? (“How do you like Milan?”)
    ►La trovo bella e dinamica. (“I find it beautiful and dynamic.”)

  • Preferisci la birra o il vino con la pizza? (“Do you prefer beer or wine with pizza?”)
    ►Preferisco la birra con la pizza e il vino con gli spaghetti. (“I prefer beer with pizza and wine with spaghetti.”)
  • Ti piace la cucina italiana? (“Do you like Italian food?”)
    ►Tantissimo. Mi fa impazzire! (“A lot. It drives me crazy!”)

  • Ti piacciono le spiagge italiane? (“Do you like Italian beaches”)
    ►Moltissimo, e adoro le isole! (“A lot, and I love the islands!”)
  • Ti piacciono le canzoni napoletane? (“Do you like Neapolitan songs?”)
    ►Sono belle, ma non capisco le parole… (“They’re beautiful, but I don’t understand the words … “)

Different alcoholic beverages in glasses on a counter top.

Cosa preferisci?  (“What do you prefer?”)

5 – What Do You Do?

Nowadays, we tend to identify ourselves and other people with the professional activity. It might not be the best way, but it is what it is…

People’s jobs and professions are an important part of their life, so it is natural to ask about it. Just remember that, in Italy, you are not supposed to ask about money and people’s salary.

  • Che cosa fai? (“What do you do?”) 
  • Di che cosa ti occupi? (“What is your occupation/activity?”)
    ► Sono medico. (“I’m a doctor.”)
    Notice how in Italian you don’t normally put the article before your occupation:
    Sono medico. (“I’m a doctor.”)
    Sono professoressa di italiano. (“I’m an Italian teacher.”)
    Sono giornalista sportivo. (“I’m a sport reporter.”)

  • ► Mi occupo di  progetti multimediali. (“I manage multimedia projects.”)
    ► Faccio l’insegnante. (“I am a teacher.”)
  • Che cosa studi? (“What do you study?”)
    ► Studio musica barocca. (“I study baroque music.”)

  • Qual è la tua specializzazione? (“What is your major? / What do you specialize in?”)
    ► Mi sto specializzando in biologia marina. (“I am specializing in marine biology.”)

  • Quale sarà il tuo prossimo progetto? (“What will be your next project?”)
    ► Ho in programma di scrivere un blog sulla lingua italiana. (“I plan to write a blog about the Italian language.”)
    ➜ If you want to know other names of professions in Italian, don’t miss our free vocabulary list on Jobs.

6 – What Do You Like to Do in Your Free Time?

Sure, asking about jobs and careers might be interesting… but the real fun questions and answers are in people’s hobbies and activities during their free time.

Finding out what others do will help you find common ground and common interests. So, let’s start asking the really important questions. 

  • Cosa fai nel fine settimana? (“What do you do in the weekends?”)

  • Come passi il tempo libero? (“How do you spend your free time?”)
    ► Mi piace andare al cinema / leggere / giocare ai videogiochi. (“I like going to the movies / reading / playing video games.”)
    ► Preferisco passare del tempo con i miei bambini.
    (“I prefer spending time with my kids.”)

  • Hai qualche hobby? (“Do you have any hobbies?”)
    ► Colleziono / faccio la collezione di farfalle e francobolli. (“I collect butterflies and stamps.”)

  • Qual è il tuo hobby preferito? (“What’s your favorite hobby?”)
    ► Mi piace fare composizioni floreali. È molto rilassante. (“I like making flower arrangements. It is very relaxing.”)

  • Fai / Pratichi sport? (“Do you practice any sports?”)

  • Che sport fai / pratichi? (“What sports do you do?”)
    ► Faccio sport estremi. (“I do extreme sports.”)
    ► Vado in palestra tutti i giorni.
    (“I go to the gym every day.”)
    ► Sono pigro/a, non faccio molto sport.
    (“I am lazy, I don’t play any sports.”)

  • Che tipo di [musica / libri / film / serie] preferisci? (“What kind of [music / books / movies / series] do you prefer?”)
    ► Mi piacciono i romanzi storici. (“I like historical novels.”)
    ► Adoro le serie coreane. (“I love Korean series.”)
    ► Il mio genere preferito è il jazz, e il tuo? (“My favorite music is jazz, and yours?”)

  • Chi è il tuo artista / scrittore / attore / musicista preferito/a? (“Who is your favorite artist / writer / actor / musician?”)
    ► Mi piacciono gli artisti contemporanei, ma non sopporto l’arte astratta. (“I like contemporary artists, but I can’t stand abstract art.”)
    ► Ascolto ogni genere di musica, ma il mio musicista preferito è… (“I listen to all kinds of music, but my favorite musician is…”)

  • Che [libro / film / serie] mi consigli? (“What [book / movie / series] do you suggest?”)
    ► Ho appena visto… Te lo consiglio. (“I just watched… I recommend it.”)
    ► Hai visto l’ultimo [film / serie] di…? È bellissimo/a! (“Have you seen the latest [film / series] of …? It’s beautiful!”)

A woman rock climbing, hanging against a very blue sky.

Cosa fai nel tempo libero? (“What do you do in your free time?”)

7 – What’s Wrong?

Sometimes things get complicated, and not all questions can be about fun and travel. An important role of friends is to understand if something is not right, and asking about it might be the first step to finding a solution to the problem or simply a way to make the other person feel better.

  • Che / Cosa c’è? (“What’s up?/What’s wrong?”)
  • Che / Cosa succede? (“What happens?/What’s the matter?”)
  • Ci sono problemi? (“Any problems?”)
  • Qualcosa non va? (“Something wrong?”)
    ► Va tutto bene. (“Everything is fine.”)
    ► Ho un problema, possiamo parlare? (“I have a problem, can we talk?”)
    ► È tutto a posto. (“It’s all right.”)

8 – How Much Is It? 

And last but not least, here is a list of very useful questions, especially if you are going around markets and mercatini and want to buy or bargain with someone.

  • Quanto costa? (“How much does it cost?”)
  • Quant’è?  (“How much is it?”)
  • Quanto viene al chilo / litro?  (“How much is it per kilo / liter?”)
  • Posso avere uno sconto?  (“Can I get a discount? “)
    ► Costa … euro. (“It costs … euros.”)
    ► È … euro. (“It’s … euros.”)
    ► Viene … euro al chilo / litro. (“It’s … per kilo / per liter.”)
    ► È caro. Costa troppo. (“It’s expensive. It costs too much.”)

    ► È economico. Costa poco. (“It’s cheap. It doesn’t cost much.”)
    ► È conveniente. (“It’s convenient.”)
    ► Vale la pena. (“It’s worth it.”)
    ► È già scontato. Non posso fare un ulteriore sconto. (“It’s already discounted. I can’t apply more of a discount.”)

3. Conclusion

In this guide, you’ve learned the most common questions in Italian, from the question words to the most common topics, and now you are ready for any type of conversation with friends and colleagues.

Did we forget any important topic you’d like to learn about? Do you feel ready to get out there and express yourself using everything you’ve learned today?

A good way to practice is to take each of the questions we’ve covered today and imagine how you would answer them. Maybe you’ll need to do some research on the sentence structures or key words, but it will be a great way to learn how to talk about yourself. 

Learning how to talk about personal topics is always worth the time, as you can use this knowledge in any situation, with your friends or people you’ve just met.

Make sure to explore ItalianPod101, as we have plenty of free resources to help you practice your grammar and learn new words. Our vocabulary lists are also useful for revisiting new words and practicing their pronunciation.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, to get personal one-on-one coaching. Practice questions and answers in Italian with your private teacher so they can give you personalized feedback and advice, and help you with the pronunciation.

About the Author: Jessica Barbagallo grew up on the sunny island of Sicily, in the south of Italy. She has lived in Florence, Milan, New York, Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. After a career in digital marketing, she went back to what is most fun to her: teaching languages! 

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Our 2020 Guide to the CILS Italian Test

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Maybe you’ve already thought about taking an Italian proficiency test, or maybe you have no idea what we’re talking about. In this article, we’ll explain why it’s important to take an Italian test like this one, and we’ll guide you through everything you’ll need to do to sign up and pass the most widely accepted proficiency test (CILS). By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be totally prepared for the big day—even if this is your first time hearing about the test.

Spoiler alert: You need to get started six months beforehand!

Log in to Download Your Free Cheat Sheet - Study Strategies in Italian Table of Contents
  1. What is a Proficiency Test?
  2. Why Take a Proficiency Test?
  3. What is the CILS Certification?
  4. How to Get Started
  5. What to Expect on the Day of the Test
  6. The CILS DUE-B2 Test
  7. Winning Strategies for Taking the CILS Exam
  8. How to Prepare for the CILS Exam
  9. Conclusion

1. What is a Proficiency Test? 

Are you ready to be tested…?

Are you ready to be tested…?

Nowadays, in order to attain any approved language certificate, you must first be tested on the four basic competencies (Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking). These tests are quite thorough; they might last a few hours, or even be spread out over the course of two days. Depending on where you are in your language studies, you would apply for one of the different levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2). 

In regards to which exam to take, there are a few options for recognized certifications, each with just slight differences that mainly correlate with your final goal. Which takes us to the next question…

2. Why Take a Proficiency Test?

There are many reasons why you might want to take certain Italian exams or attain Italian language certifications: 

  • To check your progress
  • To look good on your CV
  • To qualify for a school, a university, a job, etc.
  • To apply for Italian citizenship (as of December 2018, a basic (B1) level of Italian is required to apply)
  • To be able to teach Italian

What’s your motivation?

In this guide, we’ll tell you all about the best-known and most-renowned certification, called CILS. We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about these comprehensive tests, and try to answer your questions: 

  • What is CILS?
  • What should you expect?
  • How can you prepare?

Are you ready?

3. What is the CILS Certification?

The CILS Certification, or Certificazione di italiano come lingua straniera (“Certificate of Italian as a Foreign Language”), is a qualification officially recognized by the Italian state, based on an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It certifies students’ degree of competence in the Italian language. 

Why do you need that? 

An official certification is often necessary for admission into Italian universities, and it could be helpful if you plan to have professional contact with Italy. This certification was originally devised by the Università per Stranieri di Siena, but today, it’s administered all over the world. You can just choose a school or a university near you and take the exam there.

The certification follows the six levels of competence determined by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) of the Council of Europe. Each level certifies your language ability, including whether you can communicate effectively in a specific social or professional context. 

Choose your level carefully!

Choose your level carefully!

How do you know what level you’re at and what test to choose for your certification? The first thing you should consider is what your current linguistic ability is and/or what level you need to achieve. 

The following table outlines the basic differences between the levels and what they correspond to in terms of communication and grammar knowledge:

LevelDescriptionYou are able to:Main grammar points
CILS A1Beginner
It’s intended for learners with initial skills in the Italian language. In this level, you find different exams tailored to the various types of students, as follows:
  • A1
  • A1 for integration into Italy
  • A1 children (eight to eleven years)
  • A1 teenagers (twelve – sixteen years)

The format is the same, but the content varies.
Understand short texts and use everyday expressions; 
Introduce yourself;
Ask and answer questions about personal topics;
Interact in a simple way



  • Articles and adjectives;
  • Feminine, masculine, plural;
  • Numbers;
  • Simple prepositions;
  • Regular verbs;
  • Essere e avere (“to be,” “to have”);
  • Modal verbs potere, dovere, volere (“can,” “must,” “want”);
  • Present tense;
  • Passato prossimo (“present perfect”) tense;
  • Imperative mood;Main adjectives and adverbs
CILS A2ElementaryThis level certifies an initial competence, which still lacks autonomy from the communication point of view. 
Like the previous level, it’s divided into different modules according to the student:
  • A2
  • A2 for integration into Italy
  • A2 children (eight to eleven years)
  • A2 teenagers (twelve to sixteen years)
Understand expressions frequently used in relevant personal and professional areas;
Communicate in simple exchanges on familiar and common topics, and exchange information;
Express opinions with ease; 
Make invitations and apologize
  • Si impersonal and reflexive;
  • Prepositions and articles;
  • Irregular verbs andare, bere, dare, dire, fare, stare, venire (“go,” “drink,” “give,” “say,” “do,” “stay,” “come”);Use of passato prossimo vs imperfetto;
  • Complex sentences with prima di, invece, allora, infatti, non solo … ma anche, o, che, se (“before,” “instead,” “then,” “as a matter of fact,” “not only… but also,” “or,” “that,” “if “)
CILS UNO-B1IntermediateThis level certifies that the student has the skills necessary to use the Italian language independently and adequately in the most frequent situations of daily life. 
This is the certification needed to apply for Italian citizenship.
Communicate in Italian in everyday situations in both written and oral form in an effective way (even if with a few errors);
Understand the essential points of clear and articulated messages;
Read the most popular and useful texts
  • Position of the adjective;
  • Comparatives and superlatives;
  • Reflexive and relative pronouns;Possessive adjectives;
  • Demonstrative, interrogative, and indefinite pronouns;
  • Conditional mood;
  • Complex sentences: temporal, causal, declarative, and relative clauses
CILS DUE-B2Upper-IntermediateThis is the level that certifies the full autonomy of communication. 
It’s the minimum level ofcompetence for access to the Italian university system for students, teachers, andresearchers. It’s also required to obtain scholarships or internships.
Understand the basic ideas of complex texts related to everyday or more abstract concepts;
Utilize effective oral and written Italian (even if with a few errors);
Interact easily during a stay in Italy or in work meetings
  • Ci, ne (“in here,” “of it”);
  • Passato remoto (“remote past”);
  • FutureUse of the subjunctive (present and past, judgement and doubt)Impersonal verbs;
  • Past conditional;
  • Hypothetical phrases;
  • Implicit and explicit complex sentences
CILS TRE- C1AdvancedThis is the level of mastery in Italian proficiency: It means that you can communicate formally for social, academic, and professional purposes. Those who possess this level are able to interact formally in public institutions or companies, and to fit in in any situation. Understand long and demanding texts and their implicit meaning
Talk spontaneously and fluently without searching for your words too much;
Use the language in an efficient and flexible manner at home, work, or school;
Express your opinions on complex topics in a clear and structured manner, having full control over the linguistic tools
  • Past subjunctive;
  • Gerund and past participle;
  • Passive voice;
  • Idiomatic verbs;
  • Complex sentences: consecutive, concessive, modal, incidental, exclusive, restrictive;
  • Direct and indirect speech
CILS QUATTRO-C2Proficient
This is the level of full Italian language mastery. It means you can dominate not only all informal and formal situations, but also professional ones. 
It’s the level necessary to teach Italian abroad.
Understand effortlessly anything you read or hear;
Summarize facts and arguments from various sources, written or spoken;
Express yourself fluently, mastering slight nuances in meaning
  • Pragmatic rules of informal contexts and formal communication; 
  • Social varieties of linguistic uses of Italian;
  • Full grasp of the sociolinguistic and sociocultural implications of native language


4. How to Get Started

So, if you made it this far, you’re probably serious about taking a certification test. If so, pay attention to the next steps of CILS exam preparation:

1. Find the closest venue offering the test and get in contact with them for information. Do this at least a couple of months before taking the exam.

2. Plan well in advance. Once you take the test, you’ll receive the results via email after a period of time that can vary from two to four months, depending on your level and the total number of candidates. So, it’s better if you start thinking about your certification at least six months before you’ll actually need it.

Plan in Advance

Plan in advance: six months should do!

4. DOs:

  • The exams typically start at 8:30. Be on time, or you’ll lose the right to take the test;
  • You NEED to take a photo ID with you (the same one you used for the registration);
  • Bring a black pen (nothing else is allowed, and definitely no dictionaries or smart devices);
  • Before and during the test, make sure you listen carefully and follow the instructions, especially about how to fill the answer sheets.

5. DON’TS:

  • You cannot open the notebook before the start of the tests;
  • You cannot review or correct tests related to the previous sections;
  • You cannot move to the next section before the scheduled time;
  • You cannot ask for explanations on the content of the tests;
  • You cannot leave the room before the break, unless it’s for a serious need (so, make sure you go to the bathroom in advance).

5. What to Expect on the Day of the Test

Language Skills

Like all language proficiency tests, CILS certification is based on the four main communicative abilities (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). In addition, it contains an analytic section. Here’s how the exam is divided:

  • Ascolto (“Listening comprehension”)
  • Comprensione della lettura (“Reading comprehension”)
  • Analisi delle strutture di comunicazione (“Analysis of communication structures”)
  • Produzione scritta (“Writing test”)
  • Produzione orale (“Speaking test”)

All levels have more or less the same structure, but obviously, the difficulty and complexity of the texts and contents are higher with each level. 

In this guide, we’ll take into account only one of the levels: The CILS DUE B2. This is, in fact, the level where the student should have full autonomy in communicating without too many problems. It’s also the level that gives the student access to schools and universities, and it allows the student to apply to most jobs requesting knowledge of the Italian language.

But keep in mind that all of the instructions and tips to prepare for and approach the exam are largely the same, regardless of level.

6. The CILS DUE-B2 Test

The total duration of the exam is almost four hours, but be prepared to do the speaking test on a different day, mainly for logistic reasons. The maximum score you can receive for this certification is 100 (20 for each section), while the minimum passing score is 55. But be careful: You need to get at least 11 in each section if you want to pass!

A Woman Listening

Listen very carefully to the CILS audio recording…

1 – The Listening Comprehension

Duration: 30 minutes, three exercises for a total of 20 points. Minimum passing score is 11 points

  • In the listening comprehension test, you’ll hear a recording of a real-life dialogue at a regular speed. It can be a conversation, a telephone call, an interview, an instruction text, a radio program, etc., with two native speakers.
  • The recordings will be played twice, and the timing includes the instructions as well as the time to fill in the answers.
  • The test will be divided into three exercises in which you’ll be asked to answer questions and identify information, typically in a multiple-choice format.

2 – The Reading Comprehension

Duration: 50 minutes, three exercises for a total of 20 points. Minimum passing score is 11 points

  • The reading portion tests your ability to understand the general meaning of the information presented to you. You should expect extracts from books, newspapers, magazines, works of fiction, catalogs, instruction manuals, publicity, etc.
  • The total amount of text that you’ll need to read and understand is around 1200-1400 words.
  • There will be three parts, divided into a multiple-choice exercise, an exercise where you’ll need to find information in a text, and one based on the reconstruction of a text, following the logical and temporal sequence. 

3 – Analysis of Communication Structures

Duration: 60 minutes, four exercises for a total of 20 points. Minimum passing score is 11 points

  • In this part of the CILS Italian exam, you’ll have to be able to analyze, summarize, or transform a text. 
  • There will be four parts, which can be multiple-choice, cloze (where you need to fill in missing words), or completion tests, mostly based on vocabulary or grammar points.

4 – The Writing Test

Duration: 70 minutes, two tests for a total of 20 points. Minimum passing score is 11 points

  • In this part of the test, you’ll have to produce two simple but well-structured written texts, showing that you’re able to describe events and experiences through a cohesive and coherent text. You’re also expected to clearly highlight the relationships between concepts.
  • There will be two sections. The first will be centered on a description or narration, the review of a film / book / show, etc. (from 120 to 140 words). The second is usually a formal or informal letter (from 80 to 100 words).
A Woman Writing Using a Big Pencil

Do you find it hard to write? The secret is to practice, practice, practice!

5 – The Speaking Test

Duration: 10 minutes, two tests for a total of 20 points. Minimum passing score is 11 points

  • In the final part of the CILS test, you’ll have to communicate effectively by having a coherent and well-structured conversation on a variety of situations. You can be asked to make a description, narrate an event, or express an opinion on various topics, clearly explaining your ideas and showing relevant examples. There will be two tests, both in the presence of an examiner: one monologue and one dialogue.
  • For the dialogue, you’ll choose a topic among the three or four proposed to you, and the examiner will start asking questions. The duration of the dialogue should be around two or three minutes.
  • For the monologue, the student is asked to talk about one topic chosen from a short list, which can also contain pictures to illustrate. The duration of the monologue should be about two minutes.


7. Winning Strategies for Taking the CILS Exam

Read or listen to the instructions very, very carefully. They are the first step to a good performance.

1. Be calm and relaxed, but at the same time, keep track of the time. Every section has a given time limit, which is more than enough to complete the task—unless you stubbornly stop too long on a single question. If you’re in doubt, make a mental note and come back to that question at the end of the section if you have time. 

2. Take a peek at the questions beforehand, so you’ll have a basic notion about the topic and what you’ll be asked about during the listening or reading comprehension sections.

3. Read the text very carefully, trying to understand as much as possible. And then read it again. Underline or write notes on a separate piece of paper to help you organize your thoughts and your ideas.

4. If you don’t know an answer, try to guess it by exclusion. Sometimes, if you eliminate all the wrong or improbable answers, you’ll be left with just the correct answer.

5. In the speaking sessions, there’s often an initial part where the examiner asks personal questions (name, activity, origin, hobbies, etc.) to start assessing your level and to put you at ease. You’d better be ready and prepare a nice presentation about yourself

6. Keep it simple! Try to avoid overly complicated sentences and structures. Write what you know, and avoid translating from English at all costs! Remember all of the Italian sentence patterns that you already know and use them.

Playing Chess

It’s always important to have a strategy.

8. How to Prepare for the CILS Exam

There are many ways to prepare for the CILS exam. One of them is to take advantage of all the available resources that ItalianPod101.com offers. 

Another good way to practice is to go to the official CILS site and take a simulated test. There, you’ll find a copy of a real test administered by the Università per Stranieri di Siena in 2012. You can also buy official books that will allow you to practice and study.

Be sure you have a good grasp of the grammar topics required for your level. And before anything else, search the ItalianPod101 database of grammar and vocabulary lessons.

Read as much as you can! Reading is a great exercise to expand your vocabulary and easily fix grammar structures and points in your mind. It will help you not only in the reading comprehension test, but in all of the other sections as well. Newspapers, magazines, books, letters—everything helps.

Listen to a wide variety of audios. You can find many online Italian radio shows and podcasts, or simply tune in to movies or series. Try to concentrate as much as possible, and maybe even listen with your eyes closed, to better understand what you’re hearing. Getting used to listening to native Italian speakers will give you the necessary confidence for the listening and speaking portions of the test.

Practice writing. Lose your inhibitions and  write as often as you can. Keep your sentence patterns simple, but be effective and precise with your vocabulary. It can be very useful to use spell-checkers and translators, mainly to verify that your sentence is written correctly in terms of conjugation, spelling, agreements, etc.

A Woman Writing

Just three words: Practice. Practice. Practice.

9. Conclusion

So, do you have everything you need to embark on this adventure and take the CILS certification test? 

Whatever your strategy, know that you’ll always be able to count on a variety of ItalianPod101 resources: vocabulary lists, audio podcasts, grammar lessons, and much more.

Remember that you can also use our premium service, MyTeacher, for one-on-one interaction with your personal teacher, guidance, and ongoing assessment. You’ll receive personalized exercises (reading, writing, and speaking) with non-stop feedback, answers, and corrections, so you’ll be ready for your B2 in no time—all while having fun!

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Italian Keyboard: How to Install and Type in Italian

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You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Italian! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Italian keyboard.

Log in to Download Your Free Italian Alphabet Worksheet Table of Contents
  1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Italian
  2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Italian
  3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
  4. How to Change the Language Settings to Italian on Your Computer
  5. Activating the Italian Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
  6. Italian Keyboard Typing Tips
  7. How to Practice Typing Italian

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Italian

A keyboard

Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:

  • Get the most out of any dictionary and Italian language apps on your devices
  • Expand your ability to find Italian websites and use the various search engines
  • Be able to communicate much better online with your Italian teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process! 

2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Italian

A phone charging on a dock

It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Italian. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.

On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Italian, so all text will appear in Italian. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!

On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.

3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer

1- Mac

1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”

3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”

A screenshot of the keyboard viewer screen

2- Windows

1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.

2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”

3- Add-ons of Extensions for Browsers

Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.

4. How to Change the Language Settings to Italian on Your Computer

Man looking at his computer

Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Italian language pack for your operating system of choice:

  • Windows 8 (and higher)
  • Windows 7
  • Mac (OS X and higher)

1- Windows 8 (and higher)

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
  2. Click on “Add a Language” and select “Italian (Italy).” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as Italiano (Italia) with the note “language pack available.”
  3. Click on “Italiano (Italia)” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
  4. As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Italian – Italiano.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.

2- Windows 7

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.

2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”

3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Italian.”

4. Expand the option of “Italian” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Italian.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”

3- Mac (OS X and higher)

If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region

1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.

3. Click on the plus button, select “Italian,” and add the “Italian” keyboard (not the “Italian – Typewriter.”)

Adding a system language

5. Activating the Italian Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet

Texting and searching in Italian will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Italian keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.

You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.

Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.

1- iOS

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.

2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”

3. Select “Italian” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.

2- Android

1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.

2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.

3. Select “Italiano” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.

3- Applications for Mobile Phones

If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, these are a few good apps to consider:

6. Italian Keyboard Typing Tips

Typing in Italian can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your Italian keyboard.

A man typing on a computer

1- Computer

  • The key for “è” (with grave accent) is usually on the right of the P key; “é” (with acute accent) is also on the right of the P key, but you need to press Shift. “ò” is on the right of the L key; “à” is on the right of the “ò” key. “ù” is on the right of the “à” key.
  • The apostrophe is on the right of the zero key and “ì” is on the right of the apostrophe key.
  • A useful shortcut for macOS: 
    • È = Alt + Shift + E
    • The rest of the accented letters never occur at the beginning of a sentence or word.

2- Mobile Phones

  • To add accents on a vowel, keep the key pressed until the accented letter appears and choose it.

7. How to Practice Typing Italian

As you probably know by now, learning Italian is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Italian typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a ItalianPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Italian keyboard to do this!

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Secret Revealed: The Best Way to Learn a Language on Your Own

Learning A Language on Your Own

Can You Really Learn Italian Alone?

Learning a language on your own or without traditional classroom instruction may seem quite daunting at first. What if you run into questions? How do you stay motivated and on track to achieving goals?

Don’t worry, not only is it possible to learn Italian or any language without traditional classroom instruction: ItalianPod101 has created the world’s most advanced and extensive online language learning system. Not only is ItalianPod101 specifically designed to help you with learning a language on your own, it’s actually faster, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom options!

Let’s look at some of the benefits of learning Italian or any language alone.

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3 Reasons to Learn a Language Alone

Learning Alone

1. Learn at Your Own Pace and On Your Schedule

In today’s fast-paced world, there just isn’t time for traditional classroom instruction. Between getting to class and studying on some professor or teacher’s schedule, traditional classroom learning is simply impossible to fit in. But when you learn Italian alone, you can study in bed if you like and whenever suits your schedule best, making it far easier to actually reach your goal of learning and mastering the language.

2. Learning a Language on Your Own Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Speaking in front of a class, pop quizzes, and tests are just a few of the stressors you will encounter when you learn a language in a traditional classroom setting. Specifically, these are external stressors that often derail most people’s dream of learning a new language. But when you learn Italian alone, there are no external stressors. Without the external stress and anxiety, it becomes much easier and more exciting to study Italian and reach your very own goals—all on your own!

3. Learning Italian Alone Helps Improve Cognitive Function and Overall Success

Learning a language on your own is indeed more challenging in some ways than being taught in a traditional classroom setting. In fact, while classroom instruction requires more rote memorization and following instructions, studying a language on your own requires more problem-solving and higher cognitive function to self-teach lessons and hit goals. So while it’s more challenging and requires higher levels of cognition, teaching yourself a language pays dividends throughout life by better preparing you for social/work opportunities that arise.

How to Learn a Language on Your Own with ItalianPod101

Learning with ItalianPod101

1. Access to the World’s Largest Collection of Italian Audio & Video Lessons

The best way to learn a language on your own is to study from native speaking instructors. Ideally, you want audio and/or video lessons that teach vocabulary, grammar, and provide actual Italian conversations and dialogue to help you with pronunciation. ItalianPod101 has hundreds of hours of HD audio and video lessons created by real Italian instructors and every lesson is presented by professional Italian actors for perfect pronunciation. Plus, all lessons can be accessed 24/7 via any mobile device with Internet access. And, if you download the PDF versions of each lesson, you can even study without Internet access once the lesson is stored on your device!

2. “Learning Paths” with Italian Courses Based Upon Your Exact Needs & Goals

Although ItalianPod101 has more than thousands of video and audio lessons, you need not review each and every one to learn the language. In fact, ItalianPod101 has developed a feature called “Learning Paths”. You simply tell us your goals and we will identify the best courses and study plan to help you reach them in the shortest time possible. So even though you are technically learning a language on your own, our team is always here to help and make sure you reach your goals FAST!

3. Advanced Learning Tools Reduce Learning Time and Boost Retention

When you have the right tools and Italian learning resources, it’s actually easy to teach yourself a language! In the past 10+ years, ItalianPod101 has developed, tested, and refined more than 20 advanced learning tools to boost retention and reduce learning time, including:

  • Spaced Repetition Flashcards
  • Line-by-Line Dialogue Breakdown
  • Review Quizzes
  • Voice Recording Tools to Help Perfect Pronunciation
  • Teacher Feedback and Comments for Each Lesson
  • Italian Dictionary with Pronunciation
  • Free PDF Cheat Sheets
  • And Much More!

Armed with our growing collection of advanced learning tools, it’s truly a breeze to learn Italian alone and reach your goals!

Conclusion

Learning a language on your own is not only possible, it’s actually easier and more beneficial for you than traditional classroom instruction. In fact, when you learn Italian on your own you can study at your own pace, eliminate stress, and actually increase cognitive function.

ItalianPod101 is the world’s most advanced online language learning system and a great resource to help you teach yourself a new language. With the world’s largest collection of HD audio and video lessons, more than 20 advanced learning tools, and customized “Learning Paths”, ItalianPod101 makes learning a new language easier, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom instruction.

And the best part is: With ItalianPod101, you can study in bed, your car, or wherever you have a few spare minutes of time. Create your Free Lifetime Account now and get a FREE ebook to help “kickstart” your dream of learning a language on your own below!

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Language Learning Tips: How to Avoid Awkward Silences

Avoid Awkward Silences

Yes, even beginners can quickly learn conversational Italian well enough to carry on real conversations with native speakers. Of course, beginners won’t be able to carry a conversation the same way they could in their native language. But, just knowing a few tips like which questions to ask to keep a conversation going are all you need to speak and interact with real native speakers! But before we get to specific suggestions, let’s first take a closer look at how having real Italian conversations is so vital to your mastery of the language.

Learning to Carry a Conversation is Vital to Mastery of Any Language

Communicating with other people is the very point of language and conversation is almost second nature in our native tongue. For beginners or anyone learning a new language, conversations aren’t easy at all and even simple Italian greetings can be intimidating and awkward.

However, there are 3 vital reasons why you should learn conversational Italian as quickly as possible:

  • Avoid Awkward Silences: Nothing kills a conversation faster than long periods of awkward silence, so you need practice and specific strategies to avoid them.
  • Improve the Flow of Conversation to Make a Better Impression: When you know what to say to keep a conversation going, communication becomes much easier and you make a better impression on your listener.
  • Master the Language Faster: Nothing will help you learn to speak Italian faster and truly master the language than having real conversations with native speakers. Conversations quickly expose you to slang, cultural expressions, and vocabulary that force you to absorb and assimilate information faster than any educational setting—and that’s a great thing!

But how can you possibly have real conversations with real Italian people if you are just starting out?

3 Conversation Strategies for Beginners

Conversation

1. Ask Questions to Keep a Conversation Going

For beginners and even more advanced speakers, the key is to learn to ask questions to keep a conversation going. Of course, they can’t be just random questions or else you may confuse the listener. But, by memorizing a few key questions and the appropriate time to use them, you can easily carry a conversation with minimal vocabulary or experience. And remember, the more Italian conversations you have, the quicker you will learn and master the language!

2. Learn Core Vocabulary Terms as Quickly as Possible

You don’t need to memorize 10,000’s of words to learn conversational Italian. In fact, with just a couple hundred Italian words you could have a very basic Italian conversation. And by learning maybe 1,000-2,000 words, you could carry a conversation with a native speaker about current events, ordering in restaurants, and even getting directions.

3. Study Videos or Audio Lessons that You Can Play and Replay Again and Again

If you want to know how to carry a conversation in Italian, then you need exposure to native speakers—and the more the better. Ideally, studying video or audio lessons is ideal because they provide contextualized learning in your native language and you can play them again and again until mastery.

ItalianPod101 Makes it Easier and More Convenient Than Ever to Learn Conversational Italian

Learning Italian

For more than 10 years, ItalianPod101 has been helping students learn to speak Italian by creating the world’s most advanced online language learning system. Here are just a few of the specific features that will help you learn conversational Italian fast using our proven system:

  • The Largest Collection of HD Video & Audio Lessons from Real Italian Instructors: ItalianPod101 instructors have created hundreds of video and audio lessons that you can play again and again. And the best part is: They don’t just teach you Italian vocabulary and grammar, they are designed to help you learn to speak Italian and teach you practical everyday topics like shopping, ordering, etc!
  • Pronunciation Tools: Use this feature to record and compare yourself with native speakers to quickly improve your pronunciation and fluency!
  • 2000 Common Italian Words: Also known as our Core List, these 2,000 words are all you need to learn to speak fluently and carry a conversation with a native speaker!

In all, more than 20 advanced learning tools help you quickly build vocabulary and learn how to carry a conversation with native speakers—starting with your very first lesson.

Conclusion

Although it may seem intimidating for a beginner, the truth is that it is very easy to learn conversational Italian. By learning a few core vocabulary terms and which questions to ask to keep a conversation going, just a little practice and exposure to real Italian conversations or lessons is all it really takes. ItalianPod101 has created the world’s largest online collection of video and audio lessons by real instructors plus loads of advanced tools to help you learn to speak Italian and carry a conversation quickly.

Act now and we’ll also include a list of the most commonly used questions to keep a conversation going so you can literally get started immediately!

How to Transform Your Daily Commute Into Learning a Language

Learn a language during your commute!

Today, classrooms are no longer the only or even best place to learn a new language like Italian. More and more people are finding that they can easily learn a language just about anywhere they have a few minutes of spare time, including their daily commute to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes a day commuting to and from work, or over 300 hours a year.

Rethinking Your Daily Commute to Work

But rather than simply sitting in traffic and wasting the time, you can instead use your daily commute to literally learn Italian in just a few short months! ItalianPod101 has developed specialized learning tools that you can use on your commute to work (and home again) to master the language in your spare time. Keep reading to learn how to get your free audiobook to use on your next commute so you can see for yourself how easy it is to transform “dead time” into realizing your dream of learning a new language!

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But before we look at how to transform your commute home into a mini-classroom, let’s take a closer look at 4 reasons why traditional classroom settings just aren’t the best option for most people in today’s fast-paced world.

  • Difficulty Getting to and From Class
  • Learning on Someone Else’s Schedule
  • Very Expensive and May Cost $1,000’s to Complete
  • Can Take Years to Finally Complete Classes and Learn the Language

The simple truth is that traditional classroom instruction is simply not a viable option for most people in today’s very fast-paced, time-starved world. Now let’s examine how you can learn a language faster, more easily, and at far less expense than traditional classes—all during your commute to work and back home again!

Bus

3 Reasons Your Daily Commute Can Help You Master a Language

1. The Average Commute Time is More than 300 Hours Per Year

Between the commute to work and getting back home again, over 6 hours a week is completely wasted and not helping you reach any goals or objectives. But thanks to online language learning platforms with audiobooks and other resources that you can access during your commute, you can easily transform wasted time into tangible progress towards learning a new language. With over 300 hours available annually, your daily commute could provide you with enough time to literally master a new language each and every year!

2. Increase Your Earning Potential While Commuting to Work

How would you like to transform all those spare commuting hours each week into more money for a new car, house, or even a dream vacation? According to research, someone making $30,000 per year can boost their annual income by $600 or more per year by learning a second language. Added up over the course of a lifetime, you can boost your total earnings by $70,000 or more while achieving your dream of learning a new language during your daily commute!

How? From work-at-home translation jobs to working overseas, there are many ways to leverage your second language into more money in your bank account! So instead of wasting your precious time, you can make your commute more productive and profitable and the more languages you learn, the higher your income potential.

3. Repetition is Key to Mastering a New Language

Not sure if it’s practical to learn another language while commuting to and from work each day? Well not only is it possible—learning in your car on the way to and from work each day can actually help you learn and master Italian or any language much faster! The simple truth is that repetition is absolutely vital to truly internalizing and mastering any language. So, if you listen to audiobooks or even audio lessons on your commute to work and then repeat the same lesson on your commute home, the information is more likely to be “locked-in” to your long-term memory!

Learning

5 Ways ItalianPod101 Makes It Easy to Learn a Language On Your Commute

ItalianPod101 has been helping people just like yourself learn and master Italian in the comfort of their home, during their daily commute, or any place they have a few minutes of spare time. Here are five features provided by ItalianPod101 that make it easy to learn a new language while commuting to and from work:

1. The Largest Collection of Audio Lessons on Planet by Native Speaking Instructors
Every single week, ItalianPod101 creates new audio lessons by native speaking instructors. All lessons are short, to the point, and guaranteed to improve your mastery of Italian.

2. Word of the Day
Simply exposing yourself to new information and vocabulary terms helps increase your fluency and mastery of Italian. So every single day, ItalianPod101 adds a new Word of the Day for you to learn and memorize during your commute.

3. Daily Dose Mini-Lessons
Have a short commute to work but still want to make progress towards learning and mastering Italian? Not a problem! Our Daily Dose Mini-Lessons are 1-minute or less and designed to improve your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

4. All Content Available on a Convenient Mobile App
You don’t need a PC or tablet to learn Italian during your daily commute. At ItalianPod101, all of our lessons, tools, and resources are available 24/7 via our Mobile App. That means you can access all of our audio lessons and other tools during your commute to work or any time you have a few spare moments!

5. Audiobooks and Other Supplemental Resources
In addition to the world’s largest online collection of HD audio lessons, ItalianPod101 has also created several audiobooks to enhance your understanding and make it more convenient than ever to learn a language during your commute!

Conclusion

The average commute time of most Americans is over 300 hours each year and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn and master a new language. In fact, you can use the “dead time” during your daily commute to learn a new language and potentially boost your lifetime earnings by up to $70,000 or more! Whatever your motivation, ItalianPod101 has the tools and resources necessary to help you learn a new language each year during your commute to and from work. Act now and we’ll even provide you with a free audiobook to try out on your next commute!

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How to Start Thinking in Italian

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Italian

Going through Italian lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of Italian, but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in Italian. This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons.

We naturally translate in our heads because it’s viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you’re learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object the connection will not be nearly as strong. When you bypass the original translation between Italian and your native language then there is a more basic and strong connection between just the Italian vocabulary word and the tangible object.

start thinking in Italian

In this blog post, you will learn the 4 important techniques to easily and naturally begin to speculate about the daily occurrences in your life. The best part is all of these techniques are supported and can be achieved through ItalianPod101.com.

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1. Surround yourself with Italian

Surround Yourself

By surrounding yourself with Italian constantly you will completely immerse yourself in the language. Without realizing it you’ll be learning pronunciation, sentence structures, grammar, and new vocabulary. You can play music in the background while you’re cooking or have a Italian radio station on while you study. Immersion is a key factor with this learning process because it is one of the easiest things to do, but very effective. Even if you are not giving the program your full attention you will be learning.

One great feature of ItalianPod101.com is the endless podcasts that are available to you. You can even download and listen to them on the go. These podcasts are interesting and are perfect for the intention of immersion, they are easy to listen to as background noise and are interesting enough to give your full attention. Many of them contain stories that you follow as you go through the lessons which push you to keep going.

2. Learn through observation
learn through observation

Learning through observation is the most natural way to learn. Observation is how we all learned our native languages as infants and it’s a wonder why we stop learning this way. If you have patience and learn through observation then Italian words will have their own meanings rather than meanings in reference to your native language. Ideally, you should skip the bilingual dictionary and just buy a dictionary in Italian.

ItalianPod101.com also offers the materials to learn this way. We have numerous video lessons which present situational usage of each word or phrase instead of just a direct translation. This holds true for many of our videos and how we teach Italian.

3. Speak out loud to yourself
talk to yourself

Speaking to yourself in Italian not only gets you in the mindset of Italian, but also makes you listen to how you speak. It forces you to correct any errors with pronunciation and makes it easy to spot grammar mistakes. When you speak out loud talk about what you did that day and what you plan to do the next day. Your goal is to be the most comfortable speaking out loud and to easily create sentences. Once you feel comfortable talking to yourself start consciously thinking in your head about your daily activities and what is going on around you throughout the day.

With ItalianPod101.com you start speaking right away, not only this, but they have you repeat words and conversations after a native Italian speaker. This makes your pronunciation very accurate! With this help, you are on the fast path to making clear and complex sentences and then actively thinking about your day.

4. Practice daily

If you don’t practice daily then your progress will be greatly slowed. Many people are tempted to take the 20-30 minutes they should be practicing a day and practice 120 in one day and skip the other days. This isn’t nearly as effective because everyday you practice you are reinforcing the skills and knowledge you have learned. If you practice all in one day you don’t retain the information because the brain can realistically only focus for 30 minutes at most. If you’re studying for 120 minutes on the same subject little of the information will be absorbed. Studying everyday allows you to review material that you went over previous days and absorb a small amount of information at a time.

It’s tough to find motivation to study everyday, but ItalianPod101.com can help. It’s easy to stay motivated with ItalianPod101.com because we give you a set learning path, with this path we show how much progress you’ve made. This makes you stick to your goals and keep going!

Conclusion

Following the steps and having patience is the hardest part to achieving your goals, it’s not easy learning a new language. You are essentially teaching your brain to categorize the world in a completely new way. Stick with it and you can do it just remember the 4 tools I taught you today! With them, conversations, reading, and understanding will become much easier. The most important thing to remember is to use the tools that ItalianPod101.com provides and you will be on your way to being fluent!

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