Italian · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 12 of 12
Your first conversation
La tua prima conversazione
Put everything from A1 together: a real conversation in Italian about where you're from, your job, your routine and your likes, with an invitation.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Have a short conversation with someone new
- Say where you're from and what you do
- Ask the main question words
- Ask people to repeat or slow down
Listen
On a train from Milan to Florence, Emma and Riccardo start chatting. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Riccardo
Scusa, è libero questo posto?
Excuse me, is this seat free?
Emma
Sì, prego.
Yes, go ahead.
Riccardo
Grazie. Vai a Firenze?
Thanks. Are you going to Florence?
Emma
Sì, per lavoro. Io sono di Verona. E tu?
Yes, for work. I'm from Verona. And you?
Riccardo
Io sono di Firenze, ma lavoro a Milano. Mi chiamo Riccardo.
I'm from Florence, but I work in Milan. My name is Riccardo.
Emma
Piacere, Emma. Che lavoro fai?
Nice to meet you, I'm Emma. What do you do?
Riccardo
Sono insegnante. E tu?
I'm a teacher. And you?
Emma
Sono infermiera. Mi piace molto il mio lavoro, ma spesso lavoro di notte.
I'm a nurse. I really like my job, but I often work at night.
Riccardo
Senti, sabato sera c'è un concerto in piazza. Ti va di venire?
Listen, there's a concert in the square on Saturday evening. Do you fancy coming?
Emma
Volentieri. Qual è il tuo numero di telefono?
I'd love to. What's your phone number?
Understand
Essere and avere
(to be, chapter 1) and (to have, chapter 5) are the two most important verbs in Italian. Here they are side by side to review.
Use for who you are, where you're from and what you do: , . With jobs, Italian doesn't use a word for “a”. Use for your age: (I'm thirty).
| Person | ||
|---|---|---|
| / / | ||
Question words: the full set
You met the first question words in chapter 4. Here is the full set, with (chapter 7), (chapter 11) and a few new ones: , and , which becomes before . never has an apostrophe. means both “why” and “because”.
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who | ||
| what | ||
| where | ||
| where… from | ||
| when | ||
| how | ||
| how much | ||
| what, which | ||
| at what time | ||
| why |
When you don't understand
Every learner needs these phrases. Some have a form for friends and a form for strangers.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| / | Sorry, what did you say? (tu / Lei) |
| / | Can you say that again? (tu / Lei) |
| More slowly, please. | |
| I don't understand. | |
| … | How do you say… in Italian? |
A, in, di with places
Use with towns and cities and with countries and regions. Both mean “in” and “to”: (I work in Milan), (Are you going to Florence?), , . To say where you're from, use + the town: .
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| , | in / to Milan, Florence (towns and cities) |
| , | in / to Italy, Tuscany (countries and regions) |
| from Verona | |
| , , | at home, at the office, in the square (no “the”) |
More in the grammar: Essere and avere: to be and to have · Prepositions with articles: del, al, nel, sul… · Questions and negation
New words
- Scusa.Excuse me. · informal; polite:
- il postoseat, place · masculine
- Vai a…?Are you going to…? · from : , ,
- per lavorofor work
- Sono di…I'm from… · with a town:
- Di dove sei?Where are you from? · polite:
- Che lavoro fai?What do you do? / What's your job? · polite:
- l'insegnanteteacher · masculine or feminine (the same word)
- l'infermiere / l'infermieranurse · masculine / feminine
- di notteat night
- Senti,Listen, / Say, · informal; polite:
- il concertoconcert · masculine
- Qual è…?What is…? / Which is…? · no apostrophe
- il numero di telefonophone number · masculine
Practise
1.On the train, you want to sit next to an older lady. What do you say?
2.Complete with the right form of .
Emma is a nurse.
3.Ask for someone's phone number.
What's your phone number?
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I'm from Florence, but I work in Milan.
5.Riccardo is thirty. Which sentence is correct?
6.Match the questions with their meanings.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Sono di Verona, ma lavoro a Milano.
I'm from Verona, but I work in Milan.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.