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Italian language teacher with many years of experience here for your Italian lesson

Some students have a lot of trouble  with the Italian “CI” because it has several different meanings.

The most common meaning of “CI” is the adverb of place  = “There”,  do you remember “c’è” and “ci sono”= “There is” and “there are”?  (also we use it to avoid repeating the name of a place which we have already mentioned). 

Besides “CI” is a personal pronoun and it can be a reflexive, a direct object or an indirect object pronoun.

In everyday speech the “CI” is often used with the verb “avere” and means possession.  Generally we used it to reply:

Hai una sigaretta? (or, very informal language, “ c’hai una sigaretta?”) –>  Do you have a cigarette?/ Have you got a cigarette?

In the answer we have to use “CI” + the direct pronouns (lo; la; li; le) and “CI” becomes  “CE”:  

Sì, ce l’ho! –> Yes, I have

But  today I’ll focus on one of the most difficult  uses of “CI”.  It’s not actually difficult, but anyway you have to know and memorize  the right Italian preposition used after a verb. In fact “CI” sometimes takes  the place of a sentence  introduced by “a” or “su” or “con” or “in” (even though mostly  it takes the place of “a questo”), moreover “CI” is used  in some idiomatic phrases  e.g.

Ci puoi scommettere (or puoi scommetterci)!  –> You bet!

Ci sono! = ho capito –>  I’ve got it! (I have understood)

Io ci sto!  –>  Count me in!

Contaci! –>  Count on it!/Bank on it!

• Here I would like to give you some examples of “CI” when takes the place of the prepositions “CON” or “A”   …  [read more]

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Learn Italian language and listen to Italian songs – Italian instruction – Italian advanced level

Una canzone non facile e densa di spunti grammaticali.  Buon Ascolto!

Finalmente abbiamo le date:   April 18th – April 26th!

Next week will start the

“Settimana della Cultura 2009″ : as every year, the Week of Culture organised by the Italian Ministry of Culture is coming with a lot of free events in Rome and in all Italy. Not only country’s state museums and archaeological sites, but also architecture, cinema, music, painting and sculpture are for free for everyone.

Look at the official web site

You can phone to + 39 06 06 06, that is a multilanguage service or + 39 066723.2635 .2390 .2851

Ciao!

As you know, reflexive verbs (look at the lesson) have the same conjugations as verbs ending in -are, -ere, -ire, but we have to put a reflexive pronoun before the verb. Generally the pronoun means “myself, yourself …”.

Usually, Italian pair reflexive/un-reflexive verbs (e.g. chiamare/chiamarsi); English corresponds (e.g. to call/to call oneself), so in Italian as in English we use only one verb. However there is a special situation: the verb “to ask” along with the verb “to wonder” is the Italian pair “chiedere/chiedersi”. If you use the verb “to ask” we use “chiedere” but if you say “to wonder” we say “chiedersi” (the reflexive of to ask).

e.g. Lui si sta ancora chiedendo come ciò è/sia potuto accadere = he’s still wondering how that could have happened

Mi chiedo se è/sia malata = I wonder whether she is ill

Ciao!   Last week David wrote me: “I am travelling to Italy this summer with my family. How does your “blog” help me with basic touristic Italian? Pronunciation?”

If you need just a phrasebook and a piece of information, you will be better to read the blog “Phrasebook“. Here I wrote some useful sentences and I posted information about basic Italian.

I usually teach at school, so I prefer to explain students grammar rules and then to practise with them grammar information in a natural context, but I can also teach in different situations.  Sometimes I help tourists  to learn the basic Italian to order something to eat or something to drink or else; now I can also teach by Skype. Therefore, if you need an experienced Italian language teacher or if you want a tutor,  e-mail me! I am accustomed to teach Italian at every language level!

As you probably know, in Italian the traditional way to say “good luck” is not  only “Buona fortuna” (literally = good luck), but rather “In bocca al lupo!” –> similar to English “Break a legs!”

When someone says that to you, there is a traditional very important reply that you are expected to give: “Crepi!” or “Crepi il lupo!“

Today I would like to say “In bocca al lupo!”  to the students that are visiting Italy for them first time and that  should speak Italian. 

First of all I suggest learning Italian on the page “Italian classes”, but the most important hint is to try to get to know Italian people!  Remember that the purpose is to communicate, not just to do some academic exercises and you need to have conversation in Italian: the main focus is “to practise“!

I wrote some expressions - but only in Italian   –  to accept an invitation or to refuse an invitation.

And remember the proverb:   Chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro!  =  Whoever finds a friend finds a treasure!

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Thank you very much and say me “in bocca al lupo!”

Ciao, in questi ultimi mesi ho inserito diversi proverbi e modi di dire. Pensate di averli memorizzati?

Mettetevi alla prova! Vediamo se riuscite a ricomporli.

[Controllate qui la soluzione]

Ciao, I realized I didn’t post any Lucio Battisti’s songs before … and that is incredible!

Battisti ”is considered one of the best and most influential musicians and authors in Italian pop musics” [more in wikipedia] so… here is a song “I giardini di marzo” where all of you can listen to Italian imperfetto and beautiful lyrics .

Buon ascolto!

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What to say in Italian when a friend loses her/his job?

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We usually say “quando si chiude una porta si apre un portone” = “When one door closes, one gate opens” or, like in English,

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“quando si chiude una porta se ne apre un’altra” = “When one door closes, another opens”!

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But you could also traslate your English expression “every crisis is an opportunity” into “ogni crisi porta delle opportunità“!

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Ciao!