Italian A1 — Beginner: first words, family, food

Written by: authorship not independently recorded. Maintained by Prakash. Reviewed by: not recorded. Updated: 2026-10-05. Editorial policy and corrections.

Draft: not yet reviewed by a native speaker. Existing availability and indexing are preserved by owner instruction; that is not an editorial approval. Suggest a correction.

The whole Italian A1 level as one readable page: 3 units, 9 lessons, 65 words, 293 questions with every answer shown, a worksheet and a 10-item level test. Nothing here is behind JavaScript, and nothing needs an account.

What you can do when A1 is finished

• Greet people and introduce yourself in Italian
• Count, tell age, and talk about family
• Order food and use basic present-tense verbs

A1, unit by unit

First words

Ciao! Greetings and politeness

CIAO fits friends (hello AND bye!). Strangers get BUONGIORNO (daytime) and BUONASERA (evening). Leaving: ARRIVEDERCI. Magic trio: PER FAVORE (please), GRAZIE (thanks), SCUSI (sorry).

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation, reverse translation, matching, reorder, sentence building, word selection, error correction, dialogue completion, reading comprehension, paragraph comprehension. Every exercise works on Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register.

1. multiple choicePractice 1 [multiple choice] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Choose the contextual meaning of ciao (chow).

   1. hi / bye (friends)
   2. good morning / day
   3. good evening
   Show the answer

   hi / bye (friends)

2. fill the gapPractice 2 [fill in the blank] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Type the complete Latin script expression meaning “good night / day”.

   Show the answer

   buongiorno

3. translatePractice 3 [translation] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Read buonasera (bwOH-nah-SEH-rah) and give its lesson meaning.

   Show the answer

   good evening

4. translate into the languagePractice 4 [reverse translation] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Produce “good night” in Latin script, not romanisation alone.

   Show the answer

   buonanotte

5. matchingPractice 5 [matching] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Match arrivederci to its contextual meaning.

   1. please
   2. goodbye
   3. thanks
   Show the answer

   goodbye

6. put it in orderPractice 6 [reorder] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: a backpack

   Show the answer

   uno zaino

7. build the sentencePractice 7 [sentence building] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: the book

   Show the answer

   Buongiorno! Come stai?

8. choose the wordPractice 8 [word selection] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Select the correct target form for “sorry / excuse me”.

   1. ciao
   2. buongiorno
   3. scusi
   Show the answer

   scusi

9. find the mistakePractice 9 [error correction] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “a backpack”.

   Show the answer

   uno zaino

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10 [dialogue completion] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Complete Marco’s turn in the taught register: Very well, please. And you?

    Show the answer

    Molto bene, grazie. E tu?

11. readingPractice 11 [reading comprehension] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Read Bene, grazie. Arrivederci! (BEH-neh, GRAH-tsyeh. ahr-ree-veh-DEHR-chee!). What exact detail is communicated?

    Show the answer

    Fine, thanks. Goodbye!

12. paragraphPractice 12 [paragraph comprehension] — Ciao! Greetings and politeness: Read the complete dialogue and explain this turn’s function: Arrivederci!

    Show the answer

    Goodbye!

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkCIAO is used…

   1. only mornings
   2. with friends, hello and bye
   3. only nights
   4. never
   Show the answer

   with friends, hello and bye

   Ciao = casual hi/bye.

2. quick checkBUONASERA is for…

   1. morning
   2. evening
   3. night sleep
   4. lunch
   Show the answer

   evening

   Sera = evening.

3. quick checkIL LIBRO means…

   1. the house
   2. the book
   3. the coffee
   4. the door
   Show the answer

   the book

   Libro (masculine) = book.

4. quick checkLO ZAINO uses LO because…

   1. it is feminine
   2. z-words take LO
   3. it is plural
   4. no reason
   Show the answer

   z-words take LO

   S+consonant/Z take LO.

5. quick checkSCUSI means…

   1. please
   2. thanks
   3. sorry
   4. hello
   Show the answer

   sorry

   Scusi = sorry/excuse me.

Worksheet: Greetings worksheet

Review list. ciao · buongiorno · buonasera · buonanotte

Numbers and introductions

Numbers 1–10 open prices and ages. Introduce with ESSERE (to be): SONO = I am. Sono Sofia. Ask names: COME TI CHIAMI? (What are you called?). Answer: MI CHIAMO …

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. main idea, detail identification, inference, listening comprehension, dictation, listen and choose, listen and reorder, listen and fill, repeat after audio, multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation. Every exercise works on Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register.

1. the main ideaPractice 2 [main idea] — Numbers and introductions: What is the central communicative purpose of “Numbers and introductions”?

   Show the answer

   Numbers 1–10 open prices and ages.

2. spot the detailPractice 3 [detail identification] — Numbers and introductions: Read Sono di Roma. (SOH-noh dee ROH-mah.). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   I am from Rome.

3. what is meantPractice 4 [inference] — Numbers and introductions: Infer the intended meaning or social force of Sono Sofia. without overclaiming.

   Show the answer

   I am Sofia.

4. listeningPractice 5 [listening comprehension] — Numbers and introductions: Play the synthetic audio and give its precise contextual meaning.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Hi, I am Sofia. What is your name?

5. dictationPractice 6 [dictation] — Numbers and introductions: Play the labeled synthetic Italian audio and type the complete line in Latin script.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Mi chiamo Marco. Di dove sei?

6. listen and choosePractice 7 [listen and choose] — Numbers and introductions: Play the synthetic audio and select its contextual meaning.

   1. I am from Rome.
   2. Nice to meet you!
   3. seven

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   I am from Rome.

7. listen, then orderPractice 8 [listen and reorder] — Numbers and introductions: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: Are you Marco?

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Sei Marco?

8. listen and fillPractice listen and fill — Numbers and introductions: Play the synthetic audio and complete the line beginning “Ciao,…”.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Ciao, sono Sofia. Come ti chiami?

9. repeat itPractice 10 [repeat after audio] — Numbers and introductions: Repeat the synthetic model with accurate phrase grouping; no microphone score is claimed.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Mi chiamo Marco. Di dove sei?

10. multiple choicePractice 11 [multiple choice] — Numbers and introductions: Choose the contextual meaning of tre (treh).

    1. three
    2. four
    3. five
    Show the answer

    three

11. fill the gapPractice 12 [fill in the blank] — Numbers and introductions: Type the complete Latin script expression meaning “four”.

    Show the answer

    quattro

12. translatePractice 13 [translation] — Numbers and introductions: Read cinque (CHEEN-kweh) and give its lesson meaning.

    Show the answer

    five

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkSONO means…

   1. you are
   2. I am
   3. he is
   4. we are
   Show the answer

   I am

   Sono = I am.

2. quick checkHow do you ask someone's name?

   1. Come stai?
   2. Come ti chiami?
   3. Di dove sei?
   4. Quanti anni?
   Show the answer

   Come ti chiami?

   Come ti chiami? = What are you called?

3. quick checkCINQUE is number…

   1. 3
   2. 4
   3. 5
   4. 6
   Show the answer

   5

   uno due tre quattro CINQUE.

4. quick check'I am from Rome' is…

   1. Sono Roma
   2. Sono di Roma
   3. È di Roma
   4. Sei di Roma
   Show the answer

   Sono di Roma

   Sono DI + place.

5. quick checkPIACERE means…

   1. goodbye
   2. nice to meet you
   3. good luck
   4. see you
   Show the answer

   nice to meet you

   Say it when you first meet.

Worksheet: Numbers and names worksheet

Review list. uno · due · tre · quattro

Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase

Italian decides before it says anything else: tu for friends and family, Lei for strangers, shops and anyone older. Buongiorno opens both doors; the pronoun picks the room.

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. Italian. Every exercise works on grammatical gender and agreement, the passato prossimo/imperfetto split, the polite Lei beside the familiar tu, and the doubled consonants that decide meaning.

1. multiple choicePractice 1: [multiple choice] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Choose the meaning of Lei (lay) in this lesson.

   1. you (polite)
   2. you (familiar)
   3. madam
   4. sir
   Show the answer

   you (polite)

2. fill the gapPractice 2: [fill in the blank] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Type the Italian expression meaning “you (familiar)”.

   Show the answer

   tu

3. translatePractice 3: [translation] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Interpret the Latin with Italian diacritics (à è é ì ò ù « ») in context: Buongiorno signora, come sta? (bwohn-JOR-noh see-NYOH-rah, KOH-meh stah?).

   Show the answer

   Good morning madam, how are you?

4. translate into the languagePractice 4: [reverse translation] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Write in Latin with Italian diacritics (à è é ì ò ù « »): Hi Marco, how are you?.

   Show the answer

   Ciao Marco, come stai?

5. matchingPractice 5: [matching] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Match signora to its lesson meaning.

   1. madam
   2. you (polite)
   3. you (familiar)
   Show the answer

   madam

6. put it in orderPractice 6: [reorder] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Reconstruct the lesson model in coherent Italian: Excuse me, are you the teacher?.

   Show the answer

   Scusi, Lei è il professore?

7. build the sentencePractice 7: [sentence building] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Build the sentence with the lesson pattern (tu + 2nd person singular · Lei + 3rd person singular · scusi (Lei) / scusa (tu)): Good morning madam, how are you?.

   Show the answer

   Buongiorno signora, come sta?

8. choose the wordPractice 8: [word selection] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Select the Italian form for “sir”.

   1. signore
   2. scusi
   Show the answer

   signore

9. find the mistakePractice 9: [error correction] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Correct the model the lesson warns about: Buongiorno signora, come stai?

   Show the answer

   Buongiorno signora, come sta?

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10: [dialogue completion] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Complete the exchange with the studied response to: Good morning, excuse me, are you Professor Bianchi?

    Show the answer

    Sì, sono io. E Lei?

11. readingPractice 11: [reading comprehension] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Read “Mi chiamo Sofia. Sono nuova.” (mee KYAH-moh SOH-fyah. SOH-noh NWOH-vah.). What does it mean?

    Show the answer

    My name is Sofia. I'm new.

12. paragraphPractice 12: [paragraph comprehension] Tu o Lei: scegliere alla prima frase — Read the lesson dialogue as a whole and give its key move: Welcome. We start at nine.

    Show the answer

    Benvenuta. Cominciamo alle nove.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkWhich meaning best fits Lei?

   1. you (polite)
   2. you (familiar)
   3. madam
   4. sir
   Show the answer

   you (polite)

   Lei (lay) means you (polite) in this lesson.

2. quick checkWhich meaning best fits tu?

   1. you (familiar)
   2. you (polite)
   3. madam
   4. sir
   Show the answer

   you (familiar)

   tu (too) means you (familiar) in this lesson.

3. quick checkWhich meaning best fits signora?

   1. madam
   2. you (polite)
   3. you (familiar)
   4. sir
   Show the answer

   madam

   signora (see-NYOH-rah) means madam in this lesson.

4. quick checkWhich meaning best fits signore?

   1. sir
   2. you (polite)
   3. you (familiar)
   4. madam
   Show the answer

   sir

   signore (see-NYOH-reh) means sir in this lesson.

5. quick checkWhich meaning best fits scusi?

   1. excuse me (polite)
   2. you (polite)
   3. you (familiar)
   4. madam
   Show the answer

   excuse me (polite)

   scusi (SKOO-zee) means excuse me (polite) in this lesson.

Worksheet: Tu/Lei worksheet

Review list. Lei · tu · signora · signore

Daily life

Family and AVERE (age)

Meet the family: MADRE, PADRE, FRATELLO, SORELLA. Age uses AVERE (to have): HO 10 ANNI = I have 10 years = I am 10. Ask: QUANTI ANNI HAI? (How many years do you have?)

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. reverse translation, matching, reorder, sentence building, word selection, error correction, dialogue completion, reading comprehension, paragraph comprehension, main idea, detail identification, inference. Every exercise works on Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register.

1. translate into the languagePractice 3 [reverse translation] — Family and AVERE (age): Produce “man” in Latin script, not romanisation alone.

   Show the answer

   il fratello

2. matchingPractice 4 [matching] — Family and AVERE (age): Match la sorella to its contextual meaning.

   1. son
   2. sister
   3. daughter
   Show the answer

   sister

3. put it in orderPractice 5 [reorder] — Family and AVERE (age): Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: How old are you?

   Show the answer

   Quanti anni hai?

4. build the sentencePractice 6 [sentence building] — Family and AVERE (age): Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: My sister is 7.

   Show the answer

   Mia sorella ha sette anni.

5. choose the wordPractice 7 [word selection] — Family and AVERE (age): Select the correct target form for “family”.

   1. l'amico / l'amica
   2. la madre
   3. la famiglia
   Show the answer

   la famiglia

6. find the mistakePractice 8 [error correction] — Family and AVERE (age): Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “How old are you?”.

   Show the answer

   Quanti anni hai?

7. finish the dialoguePractice 9 [dialogue completion] — Family and AVERE (age): Complete Sofia’s turn in the taught register: Do you have brothers/sisters?

   Show the answer

   Hai fratelli?

8. readingPractice 10 [reading comprehension] — Family and AVERE (age): Read Sì, ho un fratello e una sorella. (see, oh oon frah-TEHL-loh eh OO-nah soh-REHL-lah.). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   Yes, I have one brother and one sister.

9. paragraphPractice 11 [paragraph comprehension] — Family and AVERE (age): Read the complete dialogue and explain this turn’s function: Quanti anni ha tua sorella?

   Show the answer

   How old is your sister?

10. the main ideaPractice 12 [main idea] — Family and AVERE (age): What is the central communicative purpose of “Family and AVERE (age)”?

    Show the answer

    Meet the family: MADRE, PADRE, FRATELLO, SORELLA.

11. spot the detailPractice 13 [detail identification] — Family and AVERE (age): Read Hai fratelli? (EH-ee frah-TEHL-lee?). What exact detail is communicated?

    Show the answer

    Do you have brothers/sisters?

12. what is meantPractice 14 [inference] — Family and AVERE (age): Infer the intended meaning or social force of Quanti anni hai? without overclaiming.

    Show the answer

    How old are you?

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkHO DIECI ANNI means…

   1. I have ten houses
   2. I am ten years old
   3. I like ten songs
   4. I see ten birds
   Show the answer

   I am ten years old

   Avere + anni = age.

2. quick checkLA SORELLA is…

   1. brother
   2. sister
   3. mother
   4. daughter
   Show the answer

   sister

   Sorella = sister.

3. quick checkWhich asks about age?

   1. Come stai?
   2. Quanti anni hai?
   3. Dove abiti?
   4. Che ore sono?
   Show the answer

   Quanti anni hai?

   Quanti anni = how many years.

4. quick check'My sister is 7' is…

   1. Mia sorella ha sette anni
   2. Mia sorella è sette
   3. Mia sorella sette anni
   4. Ho sorella sette
   Show the answer

   Mia sorella ha sette anni

   Ha + number + anni.

5. quick checkUN FRATELLO E UNA SORELLA means…

   1. two brothers
   2. two sisters
   3. a brother and a sister
   4. no siblings
   Show the answer

   a brother and a sister

   Un = a (m), una = a (f).

Worksheet: Family worksheet

Review list. la madre · il padre · il fratello · la sorella

Food and -ARE verbs

Food first! ACQUA, PANE, LATTE, MELA. Order with VORREI (I would like): VORREI UN CAFFÈ. -ARE verbs: PARLARE → PARLO (I speak), PARLI (you speak), PARLA (he/she speaks).

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. listening comprehension, dictation, listen and choose, listen and reorder, listen and fill, repeat after audio, multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation, reverse translation, matching, reorder. Every exercise works on Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register.

1. listeningPractice 4 [listening comprehension] — Food and -ARE verbs: Play the synthetic audio and give its precise contextual meaning.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Two euros.

2. dictationPractice 5 [dictation] — Food and -ARE verbs: Play the labeled synthetic Italian audio and type the complete line in Latin script.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Buongiorno! Vorrei un caffè, per favore.

3. listen and choosePractice 6 [listen and choose] — Food and -ARE verbs: Play the synthetic audio and select its contextual meaning.

   1. Large or small?
   2. Large, thanks. How much is it?
   3. chicken

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Large or small?

4. listen, then orderPractice 7 [listen and reorder] — Food and -ARE verbs: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: I speak Italian.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Parlo italiano.

5. listen and fillPractice listen and fill — Food and -ARE verbs: Play the synthetic audio and complete the line beginning “Due…”.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Due euro.

6. repeat itPractice 9 [repeat after audio] — Food and -ARE verbs: Repeat the synthetic model with accurate phrase grouping; no microphone score is claimed.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Buongiorno! Vorrei un caffè, per favore.

7. multiple choicePractice 10 [multiple choice] — Food and -ARE verbs: Choose the contextual meaning of il pane (eel PAH-neh).

   1. bread
   2. milk
   3. apple
   Show the answer

   bread

8. fill the gapPractice 11 [fill in the blank] — Food and -ARE verbs: Type the complete Latin script expression meaning “pen”.

   Show the answer

   il latte

9. translatePractice 12 [translation] — Food and -ARE verbs: Read la mela (lah MEH-lah) and give its lesson meaning.

   Show the answer

   apple

10. translate into the languagePractice 13 [reverse translation] — Food and -ARE verbs: Produce “rice” in Latin script, not romanisation alone.

    Show the answer

    il riso

11. matchingPractice 14 [matching] — Food and -ARE verbs: Match il pollo to its contextual meaning.

    1. coffee
    2. chicken
    3. tea
    Show the answer

    chicken

12. put it in orderPractice 15 [reorder] — Food and -ARE verbs: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: She sings well.

    Show the answer

    Due euro.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkPARLI means…

   1. I speak
   2. you speak
   3. he speaks
   4. they speak
   Show the answer

   you speak

   -I = you.

2. quick checkIL POLLO is…

   1. bread
   2. rice
   3. chicken
   4. apple
   Show the answer

   chicken

   Pollo = chicken.

3. quick checkQUANTO COSTA? means…

   1. Where is it?
   2. How much is it?
   3. What time is it?
   4. Who is it?
   Show the answer

   How much is it?

   Quanto = how much.

4. quick check'She sings well' is…

   1. Lei canto bene
   2. Lei canta bene
   3. Lei canti bene
   4. Lei cantare bene
   Show the answer

   Lei canta bene

   She = -A: canta.

5. quick checkThe polite order word is…

   1. voglio
   2. vorrei
   3. ho
   4. dammi
   Show the answer

   vorrei

   Vorrei = I would like.

Worksheet: Food worksheet

Review list. l'acqua · il pane · il latte · la mela

Dove abito: c'è, ci sono

Home is described with C'È (there is) and CI SONO (there are) plus a room list: un appartamento, una camera, la cucina, il soggiorno.

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. Italian. Every exercise works on grammatical gender and agreement, the passato prossimo/imperfetto split, the polite Lei beside the familiar tu, and the doubled consonants that decide meaning.

1. multiple choicePractice 1: [multiple choice] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Choose the meaning of c'è (cheh) in this lesson.

   1. there is
   2. there are
   3. bedroom
   4. kitchen
   Show the answer

   there is

2. fill the gapPractice 2: [fill in the blank] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Type the Italian expression meaning “there are”.

   Show the answer

   ci sono

3. translatePractice 3: [translation] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Interpret the Latin with Italian diacritics (à è é ì ò ù « ») in context: C'è una cucina grande. (cheh OO-nah koo-CHEE-nah GRAHN-deh.).

   Show the answer

   There is a big kitchen.

4. translate into the languagePractice 4: [reverse translation] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Write in Latin with Italian diacritics (à è é ì ò ù « »): There are two bedrooms..

   Show the answer

   Ci sono due camere.

5. matchingPractice 5: [matching] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Match la camera to its lesson meaning.

   1. bedroom
   2. there is
   3. there are
   Show the answer

   bedroom

6. put it in orderPractice 6: [reorder] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Reconstruct the lesson model in coherent Italian: There is no balcony..

   Show the answer

   Non c'è il balcone.

7. build the sentencePractice 7: [sentence building] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Build the sentence with the lesson pattern (c'è + singular · ci sono + plural · abito + place): There is a big kitchen..

   Show the answer

   C'è una cucina grande.

8. choose the wordPractice 8: [word selection] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Select the Italian form for “kitchen”.

   1. la cucina
   2. abitare
   Show the answer

   la cucina

9. find the mistakePractice 9: [error correction] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Correct the model the lesson warns about: È una cucina grande.

   Show the answer

   C'è una cucina grande.

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10: [dialogue completion] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Complete the exchange with the studied response to: Where do you live?

    Show the answer

    Vicino al centro, in un appartamento piccolo.

11. readingPractice 11: [reading comprehension] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Read “Quante stanze ci sono?” (KWAHN-teh STAHN-tseh chee SOH-noh?). What does it mean?

    Show the answer

    How many rooms are there?

12. paragraphPractice 12: [paragraph comprehension] Dove abito: c'è, ci sono — Read the lesson dialogue as a whole and give its key move: Two bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room. No balcony, unfortunately.

    Show the answer

    Due camere, una cucina e un soggiorno. Niente balcone, purtroppo.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkWhich meaning best fits c'è?

   1. there is
   2. there are
   3. bedroom
   4. kitchen
   Show the answer

   there is

   c'è (cheh) means there is in this lesson.

2. quick checkWhich meaning best fits ci sono?

   1. there are
   2. there is
   3. bedroom
   4. kitchen
   Show the answer

   there are

   ci sono (chee SOH-noh) means there are in this lesson.

3. quick checkWhich meaning best fits la camera?

   1. bedroom
   2. there is
   3. there are
   4. kitchen
   Show the answer

   bedroom

   la camera (lah KAH-meh-rah) means bedroom in this lesson.

4. quick checkWhich meaning best fits la cucina?

   1. kitchen
   2. there is
   3. there are
   4. bedroom
   Show the answer

   kitchen

   la cucina (lah koo-CHEE-nah) means kitchen in this lesson.

5. quick checkWhich meaning best fits abitare?

   1. to live
   2. there is
   3. there are
   4. bedroom
   Show the answer

   to live

   abitare (ah-bee-TAH-reh) means to live in this lesson.

Worksheet: Home worksheet

Review list. c'è · ci sono · la camera · la cucina

Describing words

Colors and adjectives

Adjectives match gender AND number: -O (m), -A (f), -I (m plural), -E (f plural). IL LIBRO ROSSO, LA CASA ROSSA, I LIBRI ROSSI, LE CASE ROSSE. Position: AFTER the noun!

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. sentence building, word selection, error correction, dialogue completion, reading comprehension, paragraph comprehension, main idea, detail identification, inference, listening comprehension, dictation, listen and choose. Every exercise works on Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register.

1. build the sentencePractice 5 [sentence building] — Colors and adjectives: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: The white house.

   Show the answer

   La casa bianca.

2. choose the wordPractice 6 [word selection] — Colors and adjectives: Select the correct target form for “black”.

   1. grande
   2. piccolo
   3. nero
   Show the answer

   nero

3. find the mistakePractice 7 [error correction] — Colors and adjectives: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “The red book.”.

   Show the answer

   Il libro rosso.

4. finish the dialoguePractice 8 [dialogue completion] — Colors and adjectives: Complete Marco’s turn in the taught register: Yes, it is big and red.

   Show the answer

   Sì, è grande e rossa.

5. readingPractice 9 [reading comprehension] — Colors and adjectives: Read Mi piace la casa bianca. (mee PYAH-cheh lah KAH-zah BYAHN-kah.). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   I like the white house.

6. paragraphPractice 10 [paragraph comprehension] — Colors and adjectives: Read the complete dialogue and explain this turn’s function: E la macchina rossa?

   Show the answer

   And the red car?

7. the main ideaPractice 11 [main idea] — Colors and adjectives: What is the central communicative purpose of “Colors and adjectives”?

   Show the answer

   Adjectives match gender AND number: -O (m), -A (f), -I (m plural), -E (f plural).

8. spot the detailPractice 12 [detail identification] — Colors and adjectives: Read Sì, è grande e rossa. (see, eh GRAHN-deh eh ROHS-sah.). What exact detail is communicated?

   Show the answer

   Yes, it is big and red.

9. what is meantPractice 13 [inference] — Colors and adjectives: Infer the intended meaning or social force of Il libro rosso. without overclaiming.

   Show the answer

   The red book.

10. listeningPractice 14 [listening comprehension] — Colors and adjectives: Play the synthetic audio and give its precise contextual meaning.

    audio drill — play it in the course player

    Show the answer

    And the red car?

11. dictationPractice 15 [dictation] — Colors and adjectives: Play the labeled synthetic Italian audio and type the complete line in Latin script.

    audio drill — play it in the course player

    Show the answer

    È molto bella.

12. listen and choosePractice 16 [listen and choose] — Colors and adjectives: Play the synthetic audio and select its contextual meaning.

    1. Yes, it is big and red.
    2. I like the white house.
    3. small

    audio drill — play it in the course player

    Show the answer

    Yes, it is big and red.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkLA CASA BIANCA means…

   1. the white house
   2. the black house
   3. the big house
   4. the red house
   Show the answer

   the white house

   Casa (f) + bianca.

2. quick checkI LIBRI ROSSI: why ROSSI?

   1. it is long
   2. masculine plural -I
   3. books are red
   4. all adjectives
   Show the answer

   masculine plural -I

   Masculine plural: -I.

3. quick checkLE SCARPE NERE means…

   1. the black shoe
   2. the black shoes
   3. the white shoes
   4. the red shoes
   Show the answer

   the black shoes

   Scarpe (f pl) + nere.

4. quick checkBLU in plural is…

   1. blui
   2. blue
   3. blu (never changes)
   4. bli
   Show the answer

   blu (never changes)

   Blu is invariable!

5. quick checkAdjectives usually go…

   1. before the noun
   2. after the noun
   3. at sentence start
   4. nowhere
   Show the answer

   after the noun

   La casa bianca — after!

Worksheet: Colors worksheet

Review list. rosso · blu · verde · giallo

Days, months, and telling time

Days are lowercase except with capitals? No — Italian days are LOWERCASE: lunedì, martedì. Time: CHE ORE SONO? È L'UNA (1:00) but SONO LE TRE (others). Half: E MEZZA.

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. listen and reorder, listen and fill, repeat after audio, multiple choice, fill in the blank, translation, reverse translation, matching, reorder, sentence building, word selection, error correction. Every exercise works on Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register.

1. listen, then orderPractice 6 [listen and reorder] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: It is half past three.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Sono le tre e mezza.

2. listen and fillPractice listen and fill — Days, months, and telling time: Play the synthetic audio and complete the line beginning “Ci…”.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Ci vediamo domani?

3. repeat itPractice 8 [repeat after audio] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Repeat the synthetic model with accurate phrase grouping; no microphone score is claimed.

   audio drill — play it in the course player

   Show the answer

   Sì, martedì alle dieci.

4. multiple choicePractice 9 [multiple choice] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Choose the contextual meaning of lunedì (loo-neh-DEE).

   1. Monday
   2. Tuesday
   3. Wednesday
   Show the answer

   Monday

5. fill the gapPractice 10 [fill in the blank] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Type the complete Latin script expression meaning “Tuesday”.

   Show the answer

   martedì

6. translatePractice 11 [translation] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Read mercoledì (mehr-koh-leh-DEE) and give its lesson meaning.

   Show the answer

   Wednesday

7. translate into the languagePractice 12 [reverse translation] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Produce “today” in Latin script, not romanisation alone.

   Show the answer

   oggi

8. matchingPractice 13 [matching] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Match domani to its contextual meaning.

   1. yesterday
   2. tomorrow
   3. week
   Show the answer

   tomorrow

9. put it in orderPractice 14 [reorder] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: It is three o'clock.

   Show the answer

   Che ore sono?

10. build the sentencePractice 15 [sentence building] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Rebuild this model with correct Italian gender/agreement, verb conjugation, pronunciation, and formal versus informal register: It is half past three.

    Show the answer

    Sono le tre e mezza.

11. choose the wordPractice 16 [word selection] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Select the correct target form for “hour / time”.

    1. lunedì
    2. martedì
    3. l'ora
    Show the answer

    l'ora

12. find the mistakePractice 17 [error correction] — Days, months, and telling hour / time: Replace a script, morphology, particle, or register error with the lesson model for “It is three o'clock.”.

    Show the answer

    Che ore sono?

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkÈ L'UNA is used because…

   1. one is lucky
   2. una is singular
   3. it is morning
   4. all times use È
   Show the answer

   una is singular

   1:00 is singular: È L'.

2. quick checkCHE ORE SONO? means…

   1. What day is it?
   2. What time is it?
   3. Where are you?
   4. How are you?
   Show the answer

   What time is it?

   Ore = hours/time.

3. quick checkE MEZZA means…

   1. and a quarter
   2. and a half
   3. and ten
   4. o'clock sharp
   Show the answer

   and a half

   Mezza = half.

4. quick checkItalian days are written…

   1. CAPITALISED
   2. lowercase
   3. in English
   4. never
   Show the answer

   lowercase

   lunedì, martedì — lowercase.

5. quick checkDOMANI means…

   1. today
   2. tomorrow
   3. yesterday
   4. morning
   Show the answer

   tomorrow

   Domani = tomorrow.

Worksheet: Time worksheet

Review list. lunedì · martedì · mercoledì · oggi

Il tempo e le stagioni

Weather is impersonal and short: FA BEL TEMPO, PIOVE, FA FREDDO. Seasons take IN for the ones you live through: in estate, in inverno.

Dialogue. Read it aloud twice — once for each speaker.

Practice (12). Answer first, then open the answer.

What this Italian practice tests. Italian. Every exercise works on grammatical gender and agreement, the passato prossimo/imperfetto split, the polite Lei beside the familiar tu, and the doubled consonants that decide meaning.

1. multiple choicePractice 1: [multiple choice] Il tempo e le stagioni — Choose the meaning of fa bel tempo (fah bel TEM-poh) in this lesson.

   1. the weather is nice
   2. it is raining
   3. it is cold
   4. summer
   Show the answer

   the weather is nice

2. fill the gapPractice 2: [fill in the blank] Il tempo e le stagioni — Type the Italian expression meaning “it is raining”.

   Show the answer

   piove

3. translatePractice 3: [translation] Il tempo e le stagioni — Interpret the Latin with Italian diacritics (à è é ì ò ù « ») in context: In estate fa bel tempo. (een es-TAH-teh fah bel TEM-poh.).

   Show the answer

   In summer the weather is nice.

4. translate into the languagePractice 4: [reverse translation] Il tempo e le stagioni — Write in Latin with Italian diacritics (à è é ì ò ù « »): In autumn it often rains..

   Show the answer

   In autunno piove spesso.

5. matchingPractice 5: [matching] Il tempo e le stagioni — Match fa freddo to its lesson meaning.

   1. it is cold
   2. the weather is nice
   3. it is raining
   Show the answer

   it is cold

6. put it in orderPractice 6: [reorder] Il tempo e le stagioni — Reconstruct the lesson model in coherent Italian: In winter it is cold and it snows..

   Show the answer

   In inverno fa freddo e nevica.

7. build the sentencePractice 7: [sentence building] Il tempo e le stagioni — Build the sentence with the lesson pattern (fa + adjective · piove / nevica · in estate / in inverno): In summer the weather is nice..

   Show the answer

   In estate fa bel tempo.

8. choose the wordPractice 8: [word selection] Il tempo e le stagioni — Select the Italian form for “summer”.

   1. l'estate
   2. l'inverno
   Show the answer

   l'estate

9. find the mistakePractice 9: [error correction] Il tempo e le stagioni — Correct the model the lesson warns about: È freddo oggi.

   Show the answer

   Fa freddo oggi.

10. finish the dialoguePractice 10: [dialogue completion] Il tempo e le stagioni — Complete the exchange with the studied response to: What is the weather like in Rome?

    Show the answer

    Piove e fa freddo. È inverno, che vuoi.

11. readingPractice 11: [reading comprehension] Il tempo e le stagioni — Read “E in estate?” (eh een es-TAH-teh?). What does it mean?

    Show the answer

    And in summer?

12. paragraphPractice 12: [paragraph comprehension] Il tempo e le stagioni — Read the lesson dialogue as a whole and give its key move: The weather is nice and everyone goes out. It's the best season.

    Show the answer

    Fa bel tempo e tutti escono. È la stagione migliore.

Quick check (5).

1. quick checkWhich meaning best fits fa bel tempo?

   1. the weather is nice
   2. it is raining
   3. it is cold
   4. summer
   Show the answer

   the weather is nice

   fa bel tempo (fah bel TEM-poh) means the weather is nice in this lesson.

2. quick checkWhich meaning best fits piove?

   1. it is raining
   2. the weather is nice
   3. it is cold
   4. summer
   Show the answer

   it is raining

   piove (PYOH-veh) means it is raining in this lesson.

3. quick checkWhich meaning best fits fa freddo?

   1. it is cold
   2. the weather is nice
   3. it is raining
   4. summer
   Show the answer

   it is cold

   fa freddo (fah FRED-doh) means it is cold in this lesson.

4. quick checkWhich meaning best fits l'estate?

   1. summer
   2. the weather is nice
   3. it is raining
   4. it is cold
   Show the answer

   summer

   l'estate (les-TAH-teh) means summer in this lesson.

5. quick checkWhich meaning best fits l'inverno?

   1. winter
   2. the weather is nice
   3. it is raining
   4. it is cold
   Show the answer

   winter

   l'inverno (leen-VEHR-noh) means winter in this lesson.

Worksheet: Weather worksheet

Review list. fa bel tempo · piove · fa freddo · l'estate

Recall drills — 130 more questions from the A1 words

These 130 drills are generated from the Italian A1 vocabulary list — the words of “First words” through “Describing words”, in both directions: recognition (word → meaning) and production (meaning → word). They re-ask what the course data already contains; no answer here was written by a machine, and a generated drill is practice, never a lesson.

The A1 test — 10 items

The 10-item test closes Italian A1. Answers are shown; in the course player the same test decides whether Italian A2 unlocks.

1. translate into the languageSay: hello (to a friend)

   Show the answer

   ciao

2. translate into the languageSay: I am Sofia

   Show the answer

   Sono Sofia

3. fill the gapHo ___ anni (I am 9)

   Show the answer

   nove

4. choose'Do you speak English?'

   1. Parli inglese?
   2. Parlo inglese?
   3. Parla inglese?
   4. Parlare inglese?
   Show the answer

   Parli inglese?

5. translate into EnglishQuanto costa?

   Show the answer

   How much is it?

6. fill the gapLa casa ___ (white)

   Show the answer

   bianca

7. put it in orderOrder: anni / ho / dieci

   Show the answer

   ho dieci anni

8. say it out loudSay aloud: Vorrei un caffè, per favore.

   Show the answer

   Vorrei un caffè, per favore.

9. fill the gapSono le tre e ___ (half)

   Show the answer

   mezza

10. choose'My sister is 7'

    1. Mia sorella ha sette anni
    2. Mia sorella è sette
    3. Mia sorella sette anni
    4. Ho sorella sette
    Show the answer

    Mia sorella ha sette anni

Italian A1 beyond the drills — culture, reading, listening, idioms

These sections are written for Italian A1 specifically. The reading text is EkGuru's own; the culture note cites where its facts come from; the idioms and the mistakes list are the ones this level actually trips over.

Culture note

Ciao is for friends and family; with a stranger, a shopkeeper or anyone older, Italian opens with buongiorno and closes with arrivederci. The tu/Lei decision is made in the first sentence — tu for people you would call by first name, Lei for everyone else, including anyone whose surname you know.

Source (named, not linked): en.wikipedia.org, the article “Italian language”.

Reading — read this aloud, slowly

What it says: Sofia arrives at the bar in the morning. 'Good morning, a coffee, please.' The barista answers: 'Good morning! Would you like anything else?' She takes a croissant and asks the time. 'It is a quarter past eight.' She says thank you and goodbye, then walks to work, because the office is nearby.

Listening — one voice, one text

Use the speaker button to hear this text with a browser voice tagged it-IT; playback starts only after a click. If no matching voice is installed, read it aloud yourself — the rhythm is the point.

What it says: Sofia: Good morning, how are you? Marco: Fine, thanks. And you? Sofia: Fine. What is your name, excuse me? Marco: Marco. Pleased to meet you!

10 idioms and fixed phrases

The 3 mistakes this level makes

• Ciao, come sta? → Buongiorno, come sta? / Ciao, come stai? Ciao and the polite Lei form cannot share a sentence.
• Grazie Lei. → Grazie. Grazie takes no object; to insist, say grazie mille.
• Mi chiamo sono Sofia. → Mi chiamo Sofia. / Sono Sofia. One introduction; choose one.

Your task

Meet someone twice Write the same introduction twice: once at a party to someone your age (tu, first name) and once at a doctor's reception (Lei, surname). Keep both to four lines and read them aloud — the politeness lives in the pronoun and the verb ending, not in the adjectives.

After A1: the A1+ checkpoint

A1+ is not a certificate — it is the half-step between Italian A1 and the next level, and it is on this site’s ladder because language schools use it. You are at A1+ when you can ask for things, give a phone number, name the days. Get there by working the recall drills above and the review deck until nothing on this page surprises you, then open the A2 pages.

Keep going