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Italian

Free Italian course

Italian is spoken in Italy, parts of Switzerland and by communities worldwide. The course teaches standard Italian.

Below you'll find how the course works, what the levels mean and where everything is. If you'd rather start right away, chapter 1 assumes no Italian at all.

Start with chapter 1No sign-up needed.
The Vitaleta chapel and its cypress trees in the Val d'Orcia, Tuscany
Ciao! Come stai?Hi! How are you?

How the course works

The course takes you from your first words to everyday conversations with native speakers, in 48 chapters over four levels. Work through the chapters in order: each one builds on the words and grammar of the ones before.

  1. Listen

    A short dialogue from everyday life. Listen to it whole, then line by line, at normal or slow speed.

  2. Understand

    The new grammar and words, explained in plain English with examples you can play.

  3. Practise

    Exercises that tell you straight away if you're right, and sentences to say out loud.

  4. Check

    A five-question quiz. Finish the chapter to add its words to your review deck.

Time. A chapter takes about 30–45 minutes. You can stop after any step and come back later.

Remembering. The words from finished chapters come back in Review at growing intervals, just before you would forget them.

Your progress is saved in this browser. A free account keeps it safe and lets you continue on any device.

The four levels

The course has four levels of twelve chapters: Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate and Upper intermediate. Each one says what you'll be able to do when you finish it.

The codes in brackets, A1 to B2, are from the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), an international scale used by many schools, employers and language exams. You don't need to know it to use the course.

Where should I start? If you're new to Italian, start with Beginner, chapter 1. If you already know some, take the beginner test: it shows which chapters you can skip, and each level has its own test.

Finding your way

The bar under the site's header takes you to every part of the Italian course, wherever you are:

Course →
This page, with every chapter in order. The list on the left of each chapter takes you to any other chapter.
Grammar →
32 short pages, one rule each, with tables and examples. Each chapter links to the pages it uses.
Verbs →
Full tables for 48 common verbs, in every tense the course teaches, with audio.
Vocabulary →
Every word the course teaches, level by level and topic by topic, with audio.
Phrasebook →
Ready-made phrases for 10 everyday situations, from greetings to emergencies.
Review →
Flashcards with the words of the chapters you've finished, and a passport with a stamp for each chapter.
Before you start
How the letters are pronounced, with audio:

All chapters

Beginner (A1)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Introduce yourself, order food and drink, ask for directions and understand simple, slow speech.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Hello and goodbyeCiao e arrivederciSay hello and goodbye in Italian, introduce yourself, and learn the words for I, you, we and they and the verb essere (to be).
  2. Numbers and pricesNumeri e prezziCount from 0 to 100 in Italian, ask how much something costs, understand prices in euros and pay in a shop.
  3. At the caféAl barOrder coffee and breakfast at an Italian bar, ask how much it is, and learn when to say tu and when to say Lei.
  4. Getting aroundIn giro per la cittàAsk the way and other simple questions in Italian, understand directions, say there is and there isn't, and use il, lo, la and l' (the).
  5. Family and friendsLa famiglia e gli amiciTalk about your family in Italian, say my, your, his and her, use the verb avere (to have) and say how old people are.
  6. My homeLa mia casaDescribe your home in Italian: rooms, furniture and colours, where things are with al, nel and sul, and how adjectives change with the noun.
  7. My dayLa mia giornataDescribe your daily routine in Italian, tell the time, and use the present tense of regular verbs, alzarsi (to get up), andare and fare.
  8. Food and shoppingFare la spesaBuy food at an Italian market: say what you would like with vorrei, ask for quantities, make nouns plural and say “some”.
  9. Time and datesI giorni e le dateLearn the days of the week and the months in Italian, say dates, and make an appointment on the phone.
  10. Likes and dislikesCosa ti piace?Say what you like and don't like in Italian with mi piace and mi piacciono, make sentences negative, and agree or disagree.
  11. Hobbies and free timeIl tempo liberoTalk about sports and hobbies in Italian, say how often you do things, use potere, volere and dovere, and invite a friend out.
  12. Your first conversationLa tua prima conversazionePut everything from A1 together: a real conversation in Italian about where you're from, your job, your routine and your likes, with an invitation.

Elementary (A2)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Handle shopping, travel and everyday errands, and talk about your work, your home and what you did last weekend.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Talking about the pastCosa hai fatto?Say what you did yesterday or last weekend with the passato prossimo, using avere or essere, and words like ieri, scorso and fa.
  2. Travel and hotelsIn albergoCheck in at an Italian hotel, ask about breakfast, report a problem politely with potrebbe, and use al, dal, nella and sul.
  3. At the doctor'sDal medicoTell an Italian doctor what hurts and since when, understand simple advice with deve, and name the parts of the body.
  4. Home and housingCercare casaLook at a flat to rent in Italy: ask about the rent and the neighbourhood, and compare places with più, meno, come and -issimo.
  5. Work and studiesLavoro e studioTalk about your studies and jobs in Italian, describe the past with the imperfetto, and say how long you've worked somewhere.
  6. Weather and seasonsChe tempo fa?Talk about the weather and the seasons in Italian, give the temperature, and say what will happen with the future tense.
  7. Clothes and shoppingComprare vestitiBuy and exchange clothes in Italian: ask for a size, try things on, and use questo, quello and the pronouns lo, la, li and le.
  8. Plans and invitationsFacciamo qualcosa?Make, accept and change plans in Italian: suggest things with che ne dici di…?, talk about the future, and use ci (there) and ne (of them).
  9. Directions and transportIn stazioneBuy a train ticket in Italy, understand platforms, delays and changes, and give and follow instructions with the imperative.
  10. Describing peopleCom'è fatto?Describe what people look like and what they're like in Italian, talk about how someone was, and use che (who, that) and reflexive verbs in the past.
  11. Phone calls and messagesAl telefonoMake a phone call in Italian, leave a message, spell your name, say what's happening now with stare + gerund, and use gli and le (to him, to her).
  12. A weekend awayUn weekend fuori portaReview A2 Italian: tell the story of a weekend trip with both past tenses, compare places, make plans and give a friend travel advice.

Intermediate (B1)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Get by on your own when travelling, describe experiences and plans, and explain your opinions.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Stories and memoriesStorie e ricordiTell a story about the past in Italian: use the passato prossimo, the imperfetto and the trapassato prossimo together, and link events.
  2. Opinions and reasonsSecondo me…Give your opinion in Italian with penso che and the congiuntivo, explain your reasons with perché and siccome, and agree or disagree politely.
  3. News and current eventsLe notizie del giornoUnderstand simple news in Italian: the passive with essere and venire, and how to report what someone said with dice che and ha detto che.
  4. Feelings and relationshipsCome ti senti?Talk about feelings and relationships in Italian: the congiuntivo after emotions, the congiuntivo passato, reciprocal verbs and comforting a friend.
  5. Hopes and wishesSogni e desideriTalk about hopes, wishes and dreams in Italian with the condizionale presente, mi piacerebbe, dovresti, polite requests and spero che.
  6. Solving problemsQual è il problema?Solve everyday problems in Italian: explain what's broken, ask for a repair, an exchange or a refund, and use se for real conditions.
  7. Culture and traditionsFeste e tradizioniTalk about festivals and traditions in Italian with the impersonal si, the si passivante and the relative pronouns che, cui, il quale and quello che.
  8. Work and careersIl colloquio di lavoroTalk about your work and career in formal Italian: a job interview, per and perché to say why, and benché with the congiuntivo.
  9. Health and lifestyleUno stile di vita sanoTalk about health and habits in Italian: give advice with è importante che, bisogna and se fossi in te, and use the congiuntivo imperfetto.
  10. Money and everyday servicesIn bancaDeal with a bank in Italian: open an account, make formal requests, say large numbers and amounts, and use combined pronouns like glielo.
  11. Travel storiesRacconti di viaggioTell a travel story in Italian: the condizionale passato, the future in the past, se l'avessi saputo, and ways to react with surprise.
  12. Telling your storyLa mia storiaReview B1 Italian: tell a life story with all the past tenses and the passive, and talk about hopes and dreams with the congiuntivo and conditional.

Upper intermediate (B2)

12 chapters

You'll be able to: Hold normal conversations with native speakers, follow most films and news, and write clear, detailed texts.

Test yourself (24 questions)All the words of this level

  1. Discussing and debatingPro e controArgue a point in Italian: concede with sebbene, nonostante and anche se, contrast with tuttavia and eppure, and interrupt politely.
  2. Work in depthRiunioni e trattativeTalk about work in more depth: guess with deve, dovrebbe and the futuro anteriore, give feedback, negotiate, and move from Lei to tu.
  3. Film, books and mediaLibri e filmTalk about books and films in Italian: recognise the passato remoto, summarise a plot in the present and give a nuanced opinion.
  4. Science and technologyCome funziona?Explain how something works in Italian: the passive with andare, si with modal verbs, ci si, and words for cause and effect.
  5. Society and the environmentL'ambiente e noiDiscuss problems and solutions in Italian: every kind of if-clause, including mixed ones, the congiuntivo trapassato, and expressing concern.
  6. Public lifeLa vita pubblicaReport what politicians and officials said in Italian: full reported speech, reported questions and requests, and the language of local government.
  7. Education and learningTornare a studiareTalk about school, university and learning in Italian: choose the right congiuntivo tense, express regrets, and use come se.
  8. Idioms and everyday speechModi di direUnderstand everyday spoken Italian: common idioms, fillers like cioè, tipo and boh, spoken short forms, and mica.
  9. Humour and informal languageMa dai, scherzo!Joke and tease in informal Italian: verbs like farcela and prendersela, colloquial words, irony, and how to recognise register.
  10. Formal writingUna lettera formaleWrite a formal email or letter in Italian: set phrases, formal connectors, and gerund and participle phrases.
  11. Giving a presentationUna presentazioneGive a short presentation in Italian: structure your talk, guide the audience, add emphasis and handle questions.
  12. Final reviewRipasso finaleReview B2 Italian in a long, natural conversation between two old friends: past and future forms, if-clauses, reported speech and idioms.