Italian · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 5 of 12
Work and studies
Lavoro e studio
Talk about your studies and jobs in Italian, describe the past with the imperfetto, and say how long you've worked somewhere.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you studied and where you've worked
- Describe what a job was like
- Choose between the imperfetto and the passato prossimo
- Say how long you've been doing something
Listen
Andrea Moretti has a job interview at a travel company in Bergamo. Valentina Ricci asks him about his studies and work. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Valentina
Buongiorno, signor Moretti. Si accomodi. Allora, cosa ha studiato?
Good morning, Mr Moretti. Please take a seat. So, what did you study?
Andrea
Ho studiato economia all'università di Bergamo.
I studied economics at the University of Bergamo.
Valentina
E dopo l'università?
And after university?
Andrea
Ho lavorato per cinque anni in una banca a Milano.
I worked for five years in a bank in Milan.
Valentina
E com'era il lavoro in banca?
And what was the job at the bank like?
Andrea
Era interessante, ma avevo poco tempo libero. Lavoravo dalle otto alle sette e tornavo a casa molto tardi.
It was interesting, but I had little free time. I worked from eight to seven and got home very late.
Valentina
Capisco. E adesso dove lavora?
I see. And where do you work now?
Andrea
Da due anni lavoro in un'agenzia di viaggi qui a Bergamo.
I've been working at a travel agency here in Bergamo for two years.
Valentina
Parla inglese?
Do you speak English?
Andrea
Sì. Quando ero studente, ho lavorato un anno a Londra.
Yes. When I was a student, I worked in London for a year.
Valentina
Ah, e cosa faceva a Londra?
Oh, and what did you do in London?
Andrea
Lavoravo in un ristorante italiano. Parlavo inglese tutto il giorno.
I worked in an Italian restaurant. I spoke English all day.
Understand
The imperfetto
Italian has a second past tense, the . It describes what things were like () and what used to happen again and again ().
It's very regular: take -re off the infinitive and add -vo, -vi, -va, -vamo, -vate, -vano. So gives , gives and gives . uses an older stem: … is irregular.
| Person | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| / / | |||
Imperfetto or passato prossimo?
Use the for things that happened and finished, even over a long but closed period: , .
Use the for the background: descriptions, feelings and habits. In , the sets the scene (when I was a student) and the tells what happened.
| Passato prossimo: what happened | Imperfetto: what it was like |
|---|---|
| (I had an interview yesterday.) |
How long? Da + the present
In chapter 3 you used with the present for something that is still going on. It works for jobs too: (I've been working here for two years). To ask, say
Compare : the passato prossimo with means the job is over.
- Studio l'inglese da tre anni.I've been studying English for three years.
- Da quanto tempo lavori in agenzia?How long have you been working at the agency?
- Ho studiato a Bologna per quattro anni.I studied in Bologna for four years.
More in the grammar: Present tense: regular verbs · The imperfetto: describing the past · The passato prossimo: talking about the past
New words
- studiareto study · (one i)
- l'economiaeconomics; the economy · feminine
- l'universitàuniversity · feminine; the same in the plural
- la bancabank · feminine; = at the bank
- Com'era…?What was… like? · short for
- interessanteinteresting
- pocolittle, not much · = not much time; plural: ,
- Capisco.I see. / I understand. · from
- adessonow
- l'agenzia di viaggitravel agency · feminine
- parlareto speak · = Do you speak English? (Lei)
- l'ingleseEnglish (the language) · masculine; languages are written with a small letter
- lo studente / la studentessastudent · plural: ,
- il ristoranterestaurant · masculine
Practise
1.Andrea got home late every day when he worked at the bank. Complete: “___ a casa tardi.”
2.Complete with the imperfetto of .
The job was interesting.
3.Complete with the imperfetto of (io).
I had little free time.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.When I was a student, I worked in a restaurant.
5.What does mean?
6.Match the Italian with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Ho studiato economia all'università.
I studied economics at university.
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.