Italian vocabulary: intermediate (B1)
The 168 words and phrases taught in the intermediate chapters, in the order the course teaches them. Press ▶ to hear each one.
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1. Stories and memories
From chapter 1: learn these words in context
- Mi racconti…?Will you tell me…? · from (to tell a story)
- insistereto insist · = Luisa had insisted
- per la prima voltafor the first time
- mentrewhile
- ballareto dance
- all'improvvisosuddenly
- cominciare ato start (doing something) · = it started to rain
- entrareto go in, to come in · with :
- Esatto.Exactly. / That's right.
- l'ombrelloumbrella · masculine
- riprendereto take back, to collect · like :
- chiedere di uscireto ask someone out · = to ask; = he asked me
- accettareto accept, to say yes
- sposarsito get married · = we got married
2. Opinions and reasons
From chapter 2: learn these words in context
- il direttore / la direttricemanager, director · the person in charge of an office or a company
- lavorare da casato work from home
- secondo mein my opinion, I think · with the normal present, not the congiuntivo
- siccomesince, as · at the start of the sentence
- perdereto lose; to miss · = I lose an hour; = I lost
- comodoconvenient; comfortable · feminine:
- avere ragioneto be right · = you're right
- nessunonobody, no one · before the verb; after it, add :
- disturbareto disturb, to bother
- peròbut, however · a little stronger than
- avere bisogno dito need · = I need to see people
- da soloalone, on my own · a woman says:
- obbligatoriocompulsory · feminine:
- la pausa pranzolunch break · feminine; = lunch
3. News and current events
From chapter 3: learn these words in context
- 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
4. Feelings and relationships
From chapter 4: learn these words in context
- lasciarsito split up, to break up · = we've split up
- litigareto argue, to have a row · ; (the h keeps the g hard)
- ultimolast · = in the last few months
- capirsito understand each other · = we didn't understand each other any more
- l'erroremistake · masculine
- forsemaybe, perhaps
- abbastanzaenough; quite · = enough time; = quite well
- Non dire così.Don't say that.
- la colpafault, blame · feminine; = it isn't your fault
- succedereto happen · with : = it happened
- voler bene ato love, to care about · for family, friends and partners; = I still love her, I still care about her ( = still)
- qualcunosomeone, somebody; anyone
- le novitànews (about someone's life) · feminine; the same in the singular:
- salutareto say hello to, to say goodbye to · = say hello to them from me
5. Hopes and wishes
From chapter 5: learn these words in context
- mancareto be left, to be missing · = there's a month to go until retirement
- la pensioneretirement; pension · feminine; = to retire
- stranostrange, odd · feminine:
- mi piacerebbeI'd like, I'd love to · the conditional of ; with more than one thing:
- imparareto learn · = to learn to play
- suonareto play (an instrument) · ; for sports and games, use
- smettere dito stop (doing something) · = I stopped
- preferireto prefer · like : ; = I'd rather
- almenoat least
- proporreto suggest, to propose · irregular: …; = to suggest to her
- magarimaybe; if only · = If only!
- il sognodream · masculine
- il giardinogarden · masculine
- l'aiutohelp · masculine; = to help
6. Solving problems
From chapter 6: learn these words in context
- la macchina del caffècoffee machine · feminine
- accendersito switch on, to come on · = it won't switch on; = to switch on (a light, a machine)
- la presasocket, plug socket · feminine
- la garanziaguarantee · feminine; = under guarantee
- la riparazionerepair · feminine; = to send for repair
- ci vuole / ci voglionoit takes · ;
- circaabout, around · = about three weeks
- il magazzinostockroom, warehouse · masculine
- controllareto check
- scegliereto choose · irregular: …;
- oppureor, or else
- restituireto give back, to return · like :
- i soldimoney · masculine plural
- stessosame · , = the same one
7. Culture and traditions
From chapter 7: learn these words in context
- la corsarace; run · feminine; = a horse race
- il cavallohorse · masculine
- correreto run; to race ·
- cioèthat is, I mean
- la contradadistrict (of Siena and some other towns) · feminine
- far parte dito belong to, to be part of · = I belong to the Onda
- nascereto be born · with : / = I was born
- il girolap; tour · masculine; = three laps of the square
- la chiesachurch · feminine; plural:
- vincereto win · = I won
- il drappobanner, length of cloth · masculine
- la setasilk · feminine; = made of silk
- dipintopainted · the participle of (to paint)
- contareto matter; to count · = what matters
8. Work and careers
From chapter 8: learn these words in context
- attualmenteat the moment, currently · not “actually”, which is
- occuparsi dito deal with, to be in charge of · = I'm in charge of shipments
- la spedizioneshipment, delivery · feminine; = to send (by post or courier)
- all'esteroabroad
- in tempoin time, on time
- l'aziendacompany, firm · feminine
- crescereto grow; to progress (in a career) · with : = I grew up
- il ruolorole, position · masculine
- incontrareto meet
- il tedescoGerman (the language) · masculine; also an adjective: ,
- ottimoexcellent, very good · feminine:
- la domandaquestion · feminine; = to ask a question
- il corso di formazionetraining course · masculine; = training
- il dipendente / la dipendenteemployee, member of staff
9. Health and lifestyle
From chapter 9: learn these words in context
- muoversito move, to get moving · …; congiuntivo:
- bastait's enough; that's enough · = half an hour is enough; = Stop it!
- mezz'orahalf an hour · feminine; = hour
- la bicibike · feminine; short for ; the same in the plural; = by bike
- il chilometrokilometre · masculine; … = three kilometres from…
- senzawithout · = without wasting time
- la pioggiarain · feminine; = to rain
- il paninosandwich, filled roll · masculine
- veroreal, proper; true · = a proper break
- al massimoat most
- bisognayou need to, it's necessary · never changes: ;
- Ci provo.I'll try. / I'll give it a go. · from (to try)
- ascoltareto listen to · no word for “to”:
- la vitalife · feminine
10. Money and everyday services
From chapter 10: learn these words in context
- il conto correntecurrent account · masculine; = to open an account
- appenajust · = I've just started
- lo stipendiosalary, pay · masculine
- il codice fiscaletax code · masculine; an Italian personal ID number for tax and health
- la carta di debitodebit card · feminine; = credit card
- spedireto send (by post or courier) · like :
- inveceinstead; on the other hand
- scaricareto download; to unload · = you can download it
- gratisfree (of charge)
- gentilekind · = that's very kind (of you)
- il bonificobank transfer · masculine; plural:
- la commissionefee, commission · feminine
- la virgolacomma; decimal point · feminine; 1,5 =
- il fogliosheet (of paper) · masculine
11. Travel stories
From chapter 11: learn these words in context
- bentornatowelcome back · to a woman: ; to several people:
- la vacanzaholiday · feminine; often plural:
- il portoport, harbour · masculine
- il traghettoferry · masculine
- fino auntil; as far as · = until the next day; = until three
- fortestrong · the same for masculine and feminine; = really strong
- il matrimoniowedding; marriage · masculine
- la sfortunabad luck · feminine; = luck
- vecchioold · = my old teacher (from the past)
- il professore / la professoressateacher (secondary school); professor
- il liceosecondary school, high school · masculine; for students aged about 14 to 19
- riconoscereto recognise · like :
- l'albadawn · feminine; = until dawn
- arrabbiarsito get angry · = I got angry (a woman)
12. Telling your story
From chapter 12: learn these words in context
- l'intervistainterview (for a newspaper, radio or TV) · feminine; a job interview is
- proprioright, exactly; really · = right here; …? = why… of all things?
- trasferirsito move (house, town) · like : ; = we moved
- vivereto live · ; = life was hard
- lo Statothe state · masculine; with a capital S for the country's government
- costruireto build · like :
- insegnareto teach · = I taught maths
- la scuola mediamiddle school · feminine; for children aged 11 to 14
- il mondoworld · masculine; = from all over the world
- la storiahistory; story · feminine
- il nipote / la nipotegrandchild; nephew, niece · = grandchildren
- restareto stay · with : /
- tornare indietroto go back (in time or on a road)
- rifareto do again · like : = I'd do it all again
Other levels: Beginner (A1) · Elementary (A2) · Upper intermediate (B2)