Italian cheat sheet

Nouns and articles

Italian articles vary with gender, number and the following sound. Learn the article together with the noun.

il libro / lo studente / la casa

Verb groups

Regular verbs are commonly grouped by -are, -ere and -ire dictionary endings. Present-tense forms identify person and number.

parlo / parli / parla

Adjective agreement

Many adjectives change to agree with the noun. Some adjectives use the same singular form for masculine and feminine.

un libro nuovo / una casa nuova

Subject pronouns

A subject pronoun can often be omitted because the verb ending supplies information. Include it when emphasis or contrast needs it.

Parlo italiano. — I speak Italian.

Negation

Non normally appears before the verb in a simple negative statement. Some negative expressions use additional words in patterns that differ from English.

Non parlo italiano. — I do not speak Italian.

Passato prossimo

A present auxiliary, avere or essere, combines with a past participle. With essere, the participle commonly agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Ho parlato. — I spoke. Sono arrivata. — I arrived, with a feminine singular speaker.

Preposition–article combinations

Several prepositions combine with definite articles. The resulting form depends on both the preposition and the noun’s article.

in + il → nel; di + la → della; a + il → al.

Formal address

Lei is a common formal singular form of address and uses third-person singular verb agreement. Familiar tu uses second-person singular forms.

Lei parla italiano? / Tu parli italiano? — Do you speak Italian?

Worked example: travel to school

Vado a scuola in autobus combines a first-person form of andare, a destination phrase and a transport expression. The subject io is understood from the verb.

Vado = I go; a scuola = to school; in autobus = by bus.

Common mistake: duration always needs an English-like tense

Italian can use the present with da for a situation that began earlier and continues now. English often uses a present-perfect construction in translation.

Sono qui da due anni. — I have been here for two years.

Check your understanding

Combine in and il in the ordinary contracted form.

Nel: for example, nel libro — in the book.

Curriculum connections

Sources