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Most common Italian mistakes

Friday, March 29th, 2013

In reviewing and teaching over the years, I have compiled a list of the most common Italian grammar mistakes by my students.

Here is my Top Ten

uomini is the plural of uomo ( not uomi please!!)
una ragazza francese not francesa
passeggiare not passegiare
sono in ritardo instead of sono tardi
qualche volta but not qualche volte

e = and —— è= is
Qual è not qual’è
Di dove sei? Sono inglese not sono di inglese
esco not usco
studente not estudente

Wrong
Right

and now practice with Spot the error in Italian: ..1.., …2…, …..3….,…4..,…5…

Buona fortuna, Antonio

Posted in Livello Intermedio - Intermediate, Livello Principiante - Beginner | No Responses »
Tags: blog grammar, common errors, errore, italian common mistakes, italian exam, italian grammar, learn italian, learn italian grammar blog, mistake, mistakes, spot error, spot the error, trova errore, uomi, uomini

I gialli

Thursday, January 24th, 2013

In Italian “giallo” means yellow.
Giallo might be a lemon, the colour of a jumper and even a pair of trousers.

But what would you think if you heard the phrase mi piacciono i gialli? or guardo un giallo or leggo molto i gialli.

Because in Italian”giallo” is also a noun. We refer to a thriller book, movie or a detective story as un giallo. The origin of the use of this word in these contexts derives from the yellow covers of the very first thriller books published in Italy.

Antonio

Film gialli in Italian

Posted in Entertainment & Arts - Cultura, Livello Intermedio - Intermediate, Livello Principiante - Beginner | No Responses »
Tags: books, giallo, italian class, italian giallo, italian grammar, italian thriller movies, italian tutor, learn italian, London, thriller

Reflexive verbs: practice and learn

Monday, November 19th, 2012

Fill the gaps with the present tense of the reflexive verbs in the list:

pettinarsi, addormentarsi iscriversi, farsi, lavarsi

es. 1) Marco ………si lava………i denti due volte al giorno.

2) Lucia e Elena ….………………i capelli con la spazzola.

3) Nostro padre …………..…la barba.

4) I bambini ……………………..alle 22:00 tutte le sere.

5) Carmen …………………all”università quest’anno.

Now put the verbs in brackets into the correct form

6) Voi (specchiarsi)…………………….continuamente.

7) Noi (bagnarsi)……………………in questo mare pulito.

8) Olga (prepararsi)…………………….la colazione con caffè e biscotti.

9) Noi (vestirsi)……………………in modo elegante.

10) Loro (svegliarsi)…………………..….presto la mattina.

Check here: Answer keys

Revise the reflexive verbs and practice with more activities.

Posted in Livello Intermedio - Intermediate, Livello Principiante - Beginner | No Responses »
Tags: ilearnitalian, italian grammar, italian london, learn italian, reflexive, reflexive verbs, riflessivi, riflessivo, sorrento lingue, verbi riflessivi

Che fai? Use of verb “fare”

Monday, November 5th, 2012

Put the present tense of “FARE” in the right order

io		noi
tu		voi
lui/lei/Lei		loro

Now look at the images and fill the gaps

Paola fa ……. ……………. al professore.
Noi facciamo ………………. il fine settimana.
Sergio fa ……. ……………………. dopo la colazione.
Alessia e Piero fanno ……… …………………… al parco.
Silvio fa ………. ……………………… in Australia.
Luca fa ……. ………………… al supermercato.

Check Answer keys verb FARE

More about Fare and match with fare

Posted in Livello Principiante - Beginner | No Responses »
Tags: faccio, fare, grammar, ilearnitalian, italian grammar, learn italian, London, make, to do, to do italian

Introduce yourself in Italian

Tuesday, October 9th, 2012

Fill the gaps with Che/ Dove/ Qual/ Quanti / Come

……………..va?
……………..ti chiami?
Di ………….. sei?
……………… anni hai?
…………….. è il tuo numero di telefono?
…………………. lavoro fai?
……………… lavori?
…………………. vivi?
…………………… lingue parli?

Watch the video and check

Posted in Livello Principiante - Beginner | No Responses »
Tags: ilearnitalian, introduce yourself, italian learning, italian tutor, learn italian, learnitalian, tutor in london

Mirko Casadei Beach Band- Italian Cultural Institute

Friday, June 22nd, 2012

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at the Italian Cultural Institute

The CASADEI ORCHESTRA dates back its origins to more than 80 years ago in Emilia Romagna, a region in central Italy renowned for its warm hospitality, genuine cuisine and tourist resorts. In 1972 the Orchestra (thanks to the musician, composer and songwriter RAOUL CASADEI) became famous all over the world with several songs of original folk music. The Orchestra featured a popular, catchy and danceable sound; a sound which could not be described until RAOUL created a new term: “Liscio” (which has now been entered in the Italian dictionary with the meaning “ballroom dancing”)!
Read more: Italian Cultural Institute

Posted in Entertainment & Arts - Cultura | No Responses »
Tags: 17 july, 2012, casadei, Italian Cultural Institute, learn italian, London, londra, mirko, raoul

Idiomatic expressions

Monday, March 19th, 2012

Che cosa significano queste espressioni in italiano ?

La vuoi piantare!!	Chiedere di piantare un fiore, una pianta Chiedere di smettere di parlare Chiedere di andare in campagna
È un pezzo di pane	Indicare un tipo di pane Comprare solo un pezzo di un panino Descrivere una persona molto buona
Rompere il ghiaccio	Iniziare una conversazione con una persona che non si conosce bene Discutere vivamente con una persona Avere molto freddo
Dammi il cinque!	Non essere d’accordo Essere d’accordo Dare la mano, presentarsi
In bocca al lupo!	Buona fortuna Buona vacanza Chiedere di fare attenzione agli animali

Controlla qui: modi di dire WWW.ILEARNITALIAN.NET

Posted in Livello Avanzato - Advanced, Livello Intermedio - Intermediate | No Responses »
Tags: espressioni idiomatiche, idiomatic expressions, learn italian, London, londra, modi di dire

The Italian Film Festival 2012 : TAKE IT EASY

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Scialla – 2001

Bruno Beltrame has let it all hang out, for quite a while. All that’s left of his old talent as a writer is just enough to ghost-write ‘other people’s books’. His passion for teaching has given way to a tiresome routine of tutoring equally apathetic students, including fifteen-year old Luca, who is as ignorant as the others, but vivacious and irreverent.

Date: Friday, March 09, 2012 – Saturday, March 10, 2012

Opening times: Fri 9 Mar 6.30pm; Sat 10 Mar 4.30pm

Venue: Ciné Lumière 17 Queensbury Place, London SW7 2DT

Organised by: Italian Cultural Institute