italian – level a1

Co.As.It. Italian Language Program – Learn Italian the FUN way
ITALIAN – LEVEL A2.1
DA + TIME EXPRESSIONS
In Italian you can use present tense + da + time expressions to indicate an action that
began in the past and is still going on in the present.
By contrast, English uses present perfect tense (I have spoken, I have been working) + for
+ time expressions.
verb in the present tense + da + length of time
Lavoro da due anni.
Frequento la palestra da molti mesi.
I have been working for two years.
I have been going to the gym for many
months.
To ask how long something has been going on, use:
da quanto tempo + verb in the present
Da quanto tempo studi il francese?
Studio il francese da molto tempo.
How long have you been studying
French?
I’ve been studying French for a long time.
PASSATO PROSSIMO AND DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS

You are already familiar with both the subject pronouns and the direct object
pronouns.
SUBJECT PRONOUNS
I
io
you (singular)
tu
He
lui
She
lei
We
noi
you (plural)
voi
They
loro
© Co.As.It. 2010
DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
me
mi
you (singular)
ti
him, it
lo
her, it
la
us
ci
you (plural)
vi
them
li
Italian Level A2.1 – Week 2
Reference (page 1)
Co.As.It. Italian Language Program – Learn Italian the FUN way

You also know that in English the direct object pronoun follows the verb but in Italian
the direct object pronoun precedes the verb.


Lo capisco bene.
I understand him well.
Li compro sempre al mercato.
I always buy them at the market.
In negative sentences the direct object pronoun comes between “non” and the verb.
Non lo capisco bene.
I don’t understand him well.
Non li compro sempre al mercato.
I don’t always buy them at the market.
When using the passato prossimo tense, the past participle of the verb must agree in
gender and number with the direct object pronoun preceding the verb avere.
Study the following examples:
Hanno visitato il Duomo. (They have visited the Duomo.)
BUT: Lo hanno visitato. (They have visited it.)
Ho comprato i panini. (I have bought the rolls.)
BUT: Li ho comprati. (I have bought them.)
Abbiamo visto Laura. (We have seen Laura.)
BUT: L’abbiamo vista. (We have seen her.)
Ha ricevuto le lettere. (He has received the letters.)
BUT: Le ha ricevute. (He has received them.)
© Co.As.It. 2010
Italian Level A2.1 – Week 2
Reference (page 2)
Co.As.It. Italian Language Program – Learn Italian the FUN way
I NOMI ALTERATI – MODIFIED NOUNS
In certain situations a noun in Italian can be altered to express a certain quality even
without using an adjective.
These nouns are created by adding a suffix to the root of the original noun (= the original
noun minus the final vowel).
There are four types of modified nouns in Italian:
1) Diminutives (diminutive)
2) Augmentatives (accrescitivi)
3) Terms of endearment (vezzeggiativi)
4) Derogatory terms (peggiorativi)
scarpaccia
(una scarpa molto
usata e rotta)
peggiorativo
accrescitivo
scarpona
(una scarpa grande)
vezzeggiativo
scarpa
scarpetta
(una scarpa piccola
e graziosa)
diminutivo
scarpina
(una scarpa piccola)
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http://www.123rf.com/photo_3318693_broken-shoes-isolated-on-white-background.html
© Co.As.It. 2010
Italian Level A2.1 – Week 2
Reference (page 3)
Co.As.It. Italian Language Program – Learn Italian the FUN way
1) DIMINUTIVES
These suffixes convey meaning of smallness. The most common are:
-ino/a
un ragazzo  un ragazzino (a boy  a small boy)
una scarpa  una scarpina (a shoe  a small shoe)
un telefono  un telefonino (a phone  a small phone)
-etto/a
una camera  una cameretta (a room  a small room)
un bacio  un bacetto (a kiss  a small kiss)
una casa  una casetta (a house  a small house)
-(i)cino/a
un bastone  un bastoncino (a stick  a small stick)
un libro  un libricino (a book  a small book)
-olino/a
un sasso  un sassolino (a stone  a small stone)
un topo  un topolino (a mouse  a small mouse)
-ello/a
un albero  un alberello (a tree  a small tree)
un asino  un asinello (a donkey  a small donkey)
2) AUGMENTATIVES
These suffixes convey meanings of: big, large, grand. The most common is:
-one/a
un libro  un librone (a book  a big / important book)
una mano  una manona (a hand  a big hand)
un uomo  un omone (a man  a large man)
3) TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
These suffixes convey meanings of: affection, sympathy, grace. The most common are:
-uccio/a
una bocca  una boccuccia (a mouth  a sweet little mouth)
una casa  una casuccia (a house  a cute little house)
© Co.As.It. 2010
Italian Level A2.1 – Week 2
Reference (page 4)
Co.As.It. Italian Language Program – Learn Italian the FUN way
-uzzo/a
una pietra  una pietruzza (a rock  a small rock)
-acchiotto/a
un orso  un orsacchiotto (a bear  a teddy bear)
un lupo  un lupacchiotto (a wolf  a small wolf)
-olo/a
un figlio  un figliolo (a boy  a dear boy)
una figlia  una figliola (a girl  a dear girl)
4) DEROGATORY TERMS
These suffixes convey unpleasantness and have a pejorative meaning. The most common
is:
-accio
un libro  un libraccio (a book  a horrible book)
un tempo  un tempaccio (weather  awful weather)
una parola  una parolaccia (a word  a swear word)
ALTERATI FALSI – FALSE ALTERED NAMES
There are certain nouns in Italian that appear to be modified but are actually nouns in
themselves. This is why it is always important to check the meaning in a dictionary.
Here are a few:
lampo (flash)
lampone (raspberry)
matto (mad)
mattone (brick)
matto (mad)
mattino (morning)
mulo (mule)
tacco (heel)
≠
mulino (mill)
tacchino (turkey)
burro (butter)
burrone (ravine)
colla (glue)
collina (hill)
lima (nail file)
limone (lemon)
© Co.As.It. 2010
Italian Level A2.1 – Week 2
Reference (page 5)