By taking the time to understand how the Italian language works, you'll be able to speak Italian naturally, and read and write in Italian. We know this can be one of the more challenging parts of your course, and we’re here to help! You can browse the topics, do a search in the top right corner of this page, or start a new conversation. Don’t be shy!
Ciao Maria. I have 2 questions from Lesson 1.6. 1-Why do you say [Lei] di dov'è when asking someone where they are from formally instead of [Lei] Di dove sei? I thought dov'è meant 'where is' 2-When saying you are from a country, why are there so many dif...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - October 8, 2012
In lezione 6.6, the translation of Do not go without me! is 'non andare senza di me'. Perchè non è 'non vai senza di me!'
2 replies - Last post by Alice-G - August 29, 2012
In lesson 5.6, these are given in the expressions to clarify or apologise. I do not understand why 'La' begins the phrase 'La invito a...' = 'I invite you to'..... Why isn't it Le again for formal (or La for 'I invite her to.....')?
2 replies - Last post by Alice-G - August 29, 2012
Hi Maria I have two questions similar to those of Michelino dated 20 August 2010 and 9 September 2010 (sto and sono)that don't appear to have been resolved. Question1: Lesson 1.5 refers to 'stare' being used for permanent characteristics and 'essere' for ...
18 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - August 29, 2012
Lesson 5.7: casual form of 'don't worry about it' is given as 'non ti preoccupare' but the formal is 'non si preoccupi'. Is this an irregular phrase or do all reflexive verbs have the infinitive form for the casual imperative?
2 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - August 29, 2012
In the Calcio lesson you translate 'Gioco a calcio da quando ero piccolo e gioco anche' as 'I played football since I was young....'. I can't imagine anyone saying this in English! Surely, we would say 'I've been playing football/I've played football...'....
0 replies - Last post by d-h - August 13, 2012
How do I know if I should use "Adesso" or if I should use "ora" to say "now"?
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - July 21, 2012
Is the formal form of you not the same as 2nd person plural in Italian? The reason I ask is that the grammar books show the '-are' verbs ending in '-ate' for 2nd person plural but the formal form for you seems to end in ' -a' as in 'Parla inglese?' Sim...
2 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - July 9, 2012
Ciao ciao ciao da Sicilia, qua è molto caldo e la spiaggia ci molto piace. As my question poses... do you say (in italian of course) "I was talking with my sister....." or "I was talking to my sister....." "do you want to talk with" or "do you want ...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - July 9, 2012
Buon giorno a tutti. io ho confusione di il verbe "sentire" , significa è "to feel" o "To hear" o entrambi? Grazie, Fran
16 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - June 8, 2012
how would experts rate it?? 1-10?(with 10 being a native) :)
8 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - June 8, 2012
My Grammer is very bad, will this hold me back at learning italian?
0 replies - Last post by John-B12 - June 1, 2012
Ho capito il uso da il e la ma non ho capito il uso da "lo". Mi puo speigare? Grazie, Donna
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - May 29, 2012
I was trying to conjugate the verb and wondered if I got it right? io chiamo, tu chiami, lui/lei chiama, noi chiamo??? voi chiamate?? loro Chiamano??/
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - May 29, 2012
it is sincerly difficult to make difference between essere and stare. perche?
2 replies - Last post by monica-w - April 20, 2012
I need some to help me answering the questions in the like & dislike lesson, please?!!!
5 replies - Last post by monica-w - April 20, 2012
Ciao a tutti I am confused with "Qui/Qua & Là/Lí". Let say "it is here". Should we use qui or qua? How to differentiate it? Annie
2 replies - Last post by monica-w - April 20, 2012
Lesson 11.8 doesn't display the answers for the activity. I would have loved We would have eaten They would have gone You all would have bought You would have sold She would have studied He would have finished You (polite form) would have spoken He would ...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - January 3, 2012
This post should have been titled from and for, not from and how. "Where are you from" is presented as "Di dove Sei" in the lessons. As best I can determine using various translators on the internet, "from" is Da not Di. Should it really be "da dove sei...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - October 18, 2011
I stumbled on to the verb chiamarsi which seems to be the more appropriate verb than chiamare when it comes to being used with "come ti chiami" or "mi chiamo...". Although identified as a verb with full conjugation on the site about.com, it doesn't reall...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - October 18, 2011
Hi. Saw someone else who had a problem with this word. I went through lots of verb conjugations looking for this and couldn't find it. What verb is it really derived from? It was being used as "pleased to meet you" with "piacere di conoscerti". I fou...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - October 18, 2011
In the section Direct and Indirect pronouns there is an example: "Mark asks her a favor". This is translated as "Marco le chiede un favore." Why isn't this "la chiede" as it pertains to "her" and not a plural "they" which would call for the "le".
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - September 8, 2011
Ciao Maria, I am having trouble understanding 3.10. I read it, leave it, and come back to it, but it just does not compute. Is there an easy way of explaining this lesson. pronouns?? And I am loving the new audio. I use to put my new learnt words int...
5 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - September 1, 2011
Ciao, I found these examples/sentences explaining possesive pronouns on the net and thought they would be good practise for me to translate into italian.... my grammar and use of possessive pronouns. So..... how did I go??????? Look at these pictures....
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - September 1, 2011
Ciao Maria Thanx for your help and support. I feel like I've jumped a level (no matter how small it might be) :-) The example for " while - Mentre" ha detto.... Aspettando il tuo arrivo, ho parlato con Maria....... Why "arrivo" = I arrive?? Parl...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - September 1, 2011
Ciao, La parola, Perdere significa "To miss", io sto capirendo "mancare" è anche significa "to miss". Per favore can you explain the difference in how they would be used. In 3.10 c'è un frassi...... Compriamo un panino a questo bambino? We buy a pani...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - September 1, 2011
Ciao a tutti In 4.6 the following possessives are il tuo, la tua = your.... ma anche detta il vostra e la vostra singolare. Could you please explain the difference in "your" il tuo e "your" il vostra?? Grazie Fran
2 replies - Last post by Fran-N - August 12, 2011
Which is correct. " un negozio nuovo" or "un nuovo negozio". Rocket Italian says the former but two language translators and an Italian grammar site say that nuovo is one of those adjectives that precedes the noun?? There is a new shop.
3 replies - Last post by Thosbryan - August 12, 2011
When do we use the Italian "a" and when do we use "in" when saying we're going "to" somewhere (to the store, to the cinema, to Italy, etc.), or we're sending something "to" someone? What about when something is happening "to" me?
4 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - August 11, 2011
Is it ok to use "vivere" for all forms of the English "live"? I seem to remember that this should not be used for the form meaning "reside or dwell" and that "abitare" should be used for that form so to say "I live in America" would be "Io abito a Americ...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - August 11, 2011
Ciao Maria, Può aiutarmi? in 1.5 si detto "sta al ristorante" posso dire "(mio morito) sta giocare a golf"? o seconda esempio "are you (P) still at your summer house" " voi state all'estate casa" ?? grazie, Fran
9 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - August 11, 2011
I am so confused on when to use either a direct or indirect object pronoun. Can you help me clarify when to use both? Thanks!
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - July 10, 2011
When do you use italiano versus l'italiano? In lesson 1.2 both are used for the word Italian. "Parli italiano?" and "Studio l'italiano da un mese." Which one would you use in the following examples? I speak a little Italian. Parlo un po' italiano / l'...
3 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - July 10, 2011
When do you use sapere opposed to conoscere?
2 replies - Last post by Michael-D3 - June 26, 2011
In RI Premium Plus lesson 8.8 Verb Plus Preposition, in the Attivita section, Q.2 asks for the translation of "Stop playing and come for dinner" and the answer given is "Smettila di giocare e vieni a cena". How is "smettila" derived from smettere? What ...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - June 26, 2011
Ciao! Mi chiamo bridget. I wanted to ask what the italian article for australia would be when saying "I'm from Australia." Would it be 'la' as in "vengo dalla Australia" or something different? How do you know which article to use as france uses 'dalla' a...
5 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - June 26, 2011
Ciao If I am making a phone call, do you start off the conversation with Ciao? and If i wanted to make a reservation at a restaurante can I say Vorrei prenotare una tavola per due? and if I wanted it for tomorrow at eight... a domani l'otto? grazie Steve
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - April 25, 2011
Ciao, Just want to practice the verb: Potere, would these sentences be correct? Pùoi fumare laggiu. Puo usare il bagno. Possiamo va dentro adesso? Potete guidare la. Possono fare delle fotographe del museo nazionale. Grazie Fran N
6 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - April 18, 2011
ciao tutti, a pratiche lezione..... la questa tazza è la più piccola. Questa casa ha la più colori. mio figlio è la più atlo in il suo classe. Mio morito è la più grosso in a città. non vero! Mio morito è la più forma in peasa. Abbiamo meno soldi del...
3 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - April 18, 2011
Credo cosi' Buona sera Filppo
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - April 18, 2011
The lesson states that dove? = where? and dov'e (e with accent) = where is? however the example listening exercise shows the formal example as (Lei) di dov'e? This example seems to translate as 'where is from'? not 'where are you from'? Please could you ...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - April 18, 2011
Ciao! I am new and still learning. I came across an example sentence somewhere that said "abbiamo avuto un problema" (we had a problem). Got me wondering how to say "had" for all persons/pronouns. Is the following correct? ho avuto un problema hai a...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - March 24, 2011
Allora is used alot for the word so. Per esempio, Allora Chuck, come stai? I use poi alot more for then. Sempre dritto, poi a destra. Go straight ahead and then turn right. Ciao per ora. Filippo
5 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - March 24, 2011
Hi, In this lesson, there is a sentence as below. Can you explain to me why the verb needs to be "conjuntivo imperfetto" in stead of "conditional present"? Se andassimo a sceglierlo ora? Thank you in advance, Aya
1 reply - Last post by mspringer - March 23, 2011
buon giorno e ciao in attempting an email to my cugina, I wanted to say "to make", my on-line translator gave me "per per fare". Perchè, è questo corretto? and is that sentence I just wrote corretto? Fran
4 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - March 9, 2011
How would I explain my job/work correctly?? (io) lavoro a miniera di carbone = I work at a coal mine, an under ground coal mine. So under ground would be...... sotterraneo (underground) or nell'ambito di terra (under ground)?????? Grazie Fran N
4 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - February 22, 2011
Buon giorno. Sorry if I'm doubling up not quite sure how this works and if my last entry was added?? I am so keen to get some sentences together. Anyway, just wanting to know if say .... ändare con Mick" was actually saying "go with Mick". Grazie ...
2 replies - Last post by Fran-N - January 13, 2011
Che cosa e means what is it? So che = what. But what does cosa mean? It can't mean 'is it?' because the e means that. I am so confused with 'che cosa!!!
5 replies - Last post by Icetee - January 8, 2011
In the first line of dialogue in lesson 5.1 a reference is made to "questo piccolo appartamento," with the adjective piccolo preceding the noun it modifies. Further down we see "un appartamento piccolo," with piccolo placed after the noun. Why the diffe...
1 reply - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - November 4, 2010
In this lesson, the list of places all happen to be masculine plural to the word "degli" applies perfectly: una lista degli alberghi, ristoranti, musei, e monumenti famosi. But what if one of the items happened to be feminine plural, for examp...
3 replies - Last post by Maria-DiLorenzi - October 6, 2010