Italian · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 3 of 12
News and current events
Le notizie del giorno
Understand simple news in Italian: the passive with essere and venire, and how to report what someone said with dice che and ha detto che.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Understand short local news
- Say what was done with the passive
- Report what someone said
- Talk about strikes, openings and changes in town
Listen
In Brescia, Massimo and Daniela read the local news on their phones at breakfast. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Massimo
Hai visto le notizie di oggi? Domani c'è uno sciopero dei treni.
Have you seen today's news? There's a train strike tomorrow.
Daniela
Di nuovo? Domani devo andare a Milano per lavoro. Quanto dura?
Again? I have to go to Milan for work tomorrow. How long does it last?
Massimo
Ventiquattro ore. Qui dice che alcuni treni saranno garantiti la mattina presto.
Twenty-four hours. It says here that some trains will be guaranteed early in the morning.
Daniela
Allora prendo la macchina. Altre notizie?
Then I'll take the car. Any other news?
Massimo
Sì, una bella: ieri la nuova biblioteca del quartiere è stata inaugurata dal sindaco.
Yes, a nice one: yesterday the new library in our neighbourhood was opened by the mayor.
Daniela
Finalmente! I lavori erano cominciati più di tre anni fa. E cosa ha detto il sindaco?
At last. The work had started more than three years ago. And what did the mayor say?
Massimo
Ha detto che era molto contento e che la biblioteca era un regalo per i giovani della città.
He said he was very happy and that the library was a gift for the young people of the city.
Daniela
Bello. È aperta anche il sabato?
Nice. Is it open on Saturdays too?
Massimo
Sì, dalle nove alle diciannove. Ah, e dalla settimana prossima il mercato viene spostato in piazza della Loggia.
Yes, from nine to seven. Oh, and from next week the market is being moved to Piazza della Loggia.
Daniela
Perché?
Why?
Massimo
Per dei lavori. L'articolo dice che dureranno due mesi.
Because of some building work. The article says it'll last two months.
Daniela
Devo dirlo a mia madre: ci va ogni settimana. Le mando subito un messaggio.
I must tell my mother: she goes there every week. I'll send her a message right away.
Understand
The passive with essere
In the news, you often hear what was done, not who did it. This is the passive. In Italian, it's + the past participle, and the participle agrees with the subject like an adjective: (The library was opened). To say who did it, add (by): (by the mayor).
can be in any tense. In the passato prossimo there are two participles, and the main verb, and both agree: , .
| Tense | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| present | The trains are guaranteed. | |
| The library was opened. | ||
| trapassato prossimo | The market had been moved. | |
| future | Some trains will be guaranteed. |
The passive with venire
In one-word tenses, like the present, the imperfetto and the future, you can use instead of : (The market is being moved). It stresses the action, and it's very common in the news.
In two-word tenses, like the passato prossimo, only works: .
- Il mercato viene spostato in piazza.The market is being moved to the square.
- La colazione viene servita dalle sette alle dieci.Breakfast is served from seven to ten.
- Il nuovo museo verrà inaugurato a maggio.The new museum will be opened in May.
Reporting what someone said
To report someone's words, use (to say that). With (he / she says), the tense stays the same: “” → . With a past verb like , the present becomes the imperfetto, and the passato prossimo becomes the trapassato prossimo.
Change the person too: becomes or , and becomes . For a request, use + infinitive: (He told me to wait). “He said he would come” needs another tense, which you'll learn in chapter 11.
| What someone said | Reported with … |
|---|---|
| “” | |
| “” | |
| “” | |
| “” |
More in the grammar: The passive and si: è stato fatto, si dice · The trapassato prossimo: had done · Reported speech: il discorso indiretto
New words
- la notiziapiece of news · feminine; = the news
- lo scioperostrike · masculine; = a train strike
- di nuovoagain
- durareto last · = How long does it last?
- alcunisome, a few · with a plural noun; feminine:
- garantitoguaranteed · feminine:
- la bibliotecalibrary · feminine; a bookshop is
- inaugurareto open officially · for a new building, a show or an exhibition
- il sindacomayor · masculine; for a woman: or
- finalmenteat last, finally
- i lavoribuilding work, roadworks · masculine plural
- il regalopresent, gift · masculine
- apertoopen · also the participle of (to open); the opposite is
- spostareto move (something) · = the market is being moved
Practise
1.Which sentence is passive?
2.Complete with the past participle of .
The library was opened yesterday.
3.Massimo said: Report his words.
Massimo said he was tired.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The market is being moved to the square.
5.Daniela said: How do you report it?
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
Hai visto le notizie di oggi?
Have you seen today's news?
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.