Learn Italian at your own speed with tons of hands-on practice
In the newly revised third edition of Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide, professor and language educator Dr. Ilaria Serra walks you through how to learn Italian the quick and easy way. This book is ideal for anyone looking to master Italian at their own pace, whether you're approaching the language for the first time or just brushing up on the basics.
Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide contains fifteen simple lessons that show you how to engage in everyday conversations, from ordering food at a restaurant to making travel arrangements with a hotel concierge or an Airbnb host. The author helps you develop the skills you need to have actual Italian conversations with actual people in the real world.
You'll also find:
Straightforward instructions and sample mini-dialogues on how to arrange a ride share and conduct other travel business Help with speaking to a mechanic or a doctor in Italian so you can visit Italian-speaking countries with added confidence Extensive vocabulary and culture notes, along with a fun assortment of exercises, self-tests, and practice activities Easy and complete grammar explanations Self-check solutions
An exciting and essential resource for everyone who wants to tackle Italian at their own speed, Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide remains the gold standard in books that teach you how to speak, read, write, and understand the language. It's perfect for students, jobseekers, world travelers, and the simply curious everywhere.
Preface xiii Pronunciation Guide xv Acknowledgments xix Lesson 1 Basic Expressions 1 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 2 Grammar I Gender and Number of Italian Nouns 3 Grammar II the Indefinite Article 4 Grammar III the Definite Article 5 Grammar IV Subject Pronouns 6 Grammar V Present Indicative of Ẹssere and Avere 8 Grammar VI Numbers From 0 to 1,000 9 Lesson 2 IN UN RISTORANTE DEL CENTRO (In a Downtown Restaurant) 12 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 12 Diạlogo Sergio e Maria mạngiano in un ristorante del centro 13 Dialogue Sergio and Maria Are Eating in a Downtown Restaurant 13 Grammar I Present Indicative of - are, - ere, and - ire Verbs 15 Verbi da Ricordare (Verbs to Remember) 17 Grammar II Present Indicative of - Iare, - Care, and - Gare Verbs 18 Grammar III the Adjective— Gender and Number 19 Grammar IV Interrogative Sentences 21 Grammar V Negative Constructions 21 Grammar VI the Days of the Week 22 Lesson 3 ALLA STAZIONE FERROVIARIA (At the Railway Station) 24 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 24 Diạlogo Alla stazione ferroviaria 25 Dialogue At the Railway Station 25 Grammar I Position of the Adjective 26 Grammar II Present Indicative of Capire, Finire, and Preferire 31 Grammar III the Verbs Sapere and Conọscere 32 Grammar IV Meaning of Ćè and Ci Sono 33 Grammar V How to Tell Time in Italian 33 Grammar VI Numbers From 1,001 to 1 Billion 35 Lesson 4 COMPLEANNO IN FAMIGLIA (A Family Birthday) 37 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 37 Diạlogo Compleanno in famiglia 38 Dialogue A Family Birthday 38 Grammar I Plural of Certain Nouns and Adjectives 39 Grammar II Possessive Adjectives and Possessive Pronouns 41 Grammar III Present Indicative of the Stem-changing Verbs Dare, Andare, Fare, Stare, Uscire, and Venire 43 Grammar IV the Adjective Tutto, a 44 Grammar V a Person’s Age 45 Grammar VI Seasons and Months of the Year 45 Lesson 5 IN UN ALBERGO DI MILANO (In a Hotel in Milan) 48 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 48 Diạlogo In un albergo di Milano 49 Dialogue In a Hotel in Milan 50 Grammar I Prepositions Not Combined with the Definite Article 51 Grammar II Prepositions Combined with the Definite Article 54 Grammar III the Partitive 55 Grammar IV Present Indicative of the Stem-Changing Verbs Dovere, Potere, and Volere 57 Grammar V the Interrogative Pronoun Chi and the Adjectives Che, Quale, and Quanto 58 Grammar VI Future Indicative of Avere and Ẹssere and of - Are, - Ere, and - Ire Verbs 59 Review A (Lessons 1–5) 63 Lesson 6 FARE LA SPESA (Grocery Shopping) 67 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 67 Diạlogo A fare la spesa 68 Dialogue Grocery Shopping 69 Grammar I Plural of Some Nouns 70 Grammar II Personal Pronouns After a Preposition Or a Verb 72 Grammar III Direct Object Pronouns 72 Grammar IV Position of the Direct Object Pronoun in a Sentence 73 Grammar V Future Indicative of Verbs Ending in - Care, - Gare, - Ciare, and - Giare 76 Grammar VI Niente, Nulla, Nessuno, and other Negative Expressions 77 Grammar VII Future Indicative of the Stem-Changing Verbs dare, andare, fare, stare, and dovere, potere, volere 79 Lesson 7 IN UNA BANCA DI FIRENZE (In a Bank in Florence) 81 Parole Da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 81 Diạlogo In una banca di Firenze 82 Dialogue In a Bank in Florence 82 Grammar I Nouns Ending in -ista 84 Grammar II Present Indicative of the Stem-changing Verbs Bere, Dire, Rimanere, and Tenere; Future Indicative of Sapere, Vedere, and Venire 85 Grammar III the Past Participle 86 Grammar IV Passato Prọssimo of Transitive and Intransitive Verbs 88 Grammar V Agreement of the Past Particle with Direct Object Pronouns 92 Grammar VI Idiomatic Use of the Present Indicative with the Preposition Da 92 Lesson 8 UNA VISITA MEDICA (A Medical Examination) 94 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 94 Diạlogo Una vịsita mẹdica 95 Dialogue A Medical Examination 96 Grammar I Future Indicative of the Stem-Changing Verbs bere, dire, rimanere, and tenere 97 Grammar II the Relative Pronouns Che, Cui, Il Quale, and La Quale 98 Grammar III Reflexive Verbs and Reflexive Pronouns 100 Grammar IV the Direct Object Pronoun Ne 103 Grammar V the Adjective Ogni 105 Grammar VI Idiomatic Expressions with Fare 106 Lesson 9 In Un Negozio Di Abbigliamento (In a Clothing Store) 108 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 108 Diạlogo In un negozio di abbigliamento 109 Dialogue In a Clothing Store 110 Grammar I The Relative Pronoun cui and the Possessive Interrogative di chi 111 Grammar II Reciprocal Constructions 112 Grammar III Indirect Object Pronouns 113 Grammar IV the Verb Piacere 115 Grammar V Imperative of First- , Second- , and Third- Conjugation Verbs 116 Grammar VI Imperative of Avere and Ẹssere and of the Stem-Changing Verbs Dare, Dire, Fare, Stare 118 Lesson 10 UNA TELEFONATA (A Telephone Call) 121 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 121 Diạlogo Una telefonata 122 Dialogue A Telephone Call 122 Grammar I The Adverbial Pronoun ci 124 Grammar II Position of Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns with the Imperative 125 Grammar III Imperative of Reflexive Verbs 127 Grammar IV Imperative of the Stem-Changing Verbs Andare, Bere, Rimanere, Tenere, Uscire, and Venire 128 Grammar V Double Object Pronouns 129 Grammar VI the Imperfetto 131 Review B (Lessons 6–10) 136 Lesson 11 UNA GITA DOMENICALE (A Sunday Outing) 141 Parole da Ricordare 141 Diạlogo Una gita domenicale 142 Dialogue A Sunday Outing 143 Grammar I The Impersonal Construction 144 Grammar II the Comparative 145 Grammar III the Superlative 149 Grammar IV Verbs Used in the Third-Person Singular 152 Grammar V Idiomatic Use of the Imperfetto with the Preposition Da 153 Grammar VI Present Conditional of - Are, - Ere, and - Ire Verbs; Present Conditional of avere and ẹssere 153 Lesson 12 Sul Sito Di Viaggi Online (On the Online Travel Website) 157 Parole da Ricordare (Words to Remember) 157 Diạlogo Sul sito di viaggi online 158 Dialogue On the Online Travel Website 158 Grammar I Present Conditional of Stem-Changing Verbs 160 Grammar II Future Perfect and Perfect Conditional 163 Grammar III the Trapassato Prọssimo 166 Grammar IV the Gerundio 168 Grammar V Special Construction of Stare with the Gerundio 171 Grammar VI the Infinitive 171 Lesson 13 ALL’UFFICIO POSTALE (At the Post Office) 175 Parole da Ricordare 175 Diạlogo All’ufficio postale 176 Dialogue At the Post Office 176 Grammar I Adverbs 178 Grammar II the Comparative and Superlative of Adverbs 179 Grammar III Present Subjunctive 180 Grammar IV Perfect Subjunctive 182 Grammar V the Subjunctive: Use (part I) 184 Grammar VI Tense Sequence: Indicative/subjunctive (part I) 187 Lesson 14 DAL MECCANICO (At the Mechanic’s) 190 Parole da Ricordare 190 Diạlogo Dal meccanico 191 Dialogue At the Mechanic’s 191 Grammar I The Passato Remoto 193 Grammar II the Passato Remoto of Stem-Changing Verbs 195 Grammar III the Trapassato Remoto 197 Grammar IV Imperfect Subjunctive 198 Grammar V Pluperfect Subjunctive 200 Grammar VI Tense Sequence: Indicative/subjunctive (part II) 201 Lesson 15 IN CERCA DI LAVORO (Looking for a Job) 205 Parole da Ricordare 205 Narrativa In cerca di lavoro 206 Narrative Looking for a Job 207 Grammar I The Subjunctive: Use (Part II) 208 Grammar II if Clauses with the Subjunctive 210 Grammar III Additional Uses of the Subjunctive 212 Grammar IV the Passive Construction 213 Grammar V Nouns and Adjectives Combined with a Suffix 216 Grammar VI Special Constructions with Fare, Lasciare, Mẹtterci, and Volerci 218 Review C (Lessons 11–15) 222 Appendix A Answers for Exercises and Reviews 226 Appendix B Regular Verbs 290 Appendix C Irregular Verbs 294 Italian–English Vocabulary 302
ILARIA SERRA, PhD, is professor of Italian and Comparative Studies at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and director of the university’s Venice Study Abroad Program. A native of Venice, Italy, Ilaria researches Italian cinema, Italian literature, and the history of Italian immigration to the United States. She received FAU’s Scholar of the Year Award in 2012 and 2020. The late EDOARDO A. LÈBANO was professor of Italian and director of the Center for Italian Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington.
