Italian Workbook For Dummies
Explore BookDefinite and indefinite articles, and the partitive
Gender/Number | Definite (the) | Indefinite (a, an) | Partitive (a little, some, any; [preposition di + definite article]) |
m sing. | il/lo/l’ | uno/un | del/dello/dell’ |
f sing. | la/l’ | una/un’ | della/dell’ |
m pl. | i/gli | — | dei/degli |
f pl. | le | — | delle |
Personal pronouns
Person | Subject | Direct Object | Indirect Object | Stressed | Reflexive |
1st sing. | io | mi | mi | Me | mi |
2nd sing. | tu | ti | ti | Te | ti |
3rd sing. | lui/lei/Lei | lo/la/la | gli/le/Le | lui/lei/Lei | si |
1st pl. | noi | ci | ci | Noi | ci |
2nd pl. | voi | vi | vi | Voi | vi |
3rd pl. | loro | le/li | gli | loro | si |
Simple prepositions
- di* (of, about, some, possession)
- a* (at, to)
- da* (from, by, at)
- in* (in, into, to)
- con (with)
- su* (on, onto)
- per (for, through)
- fra/tra (between, among)
Tenses in Italian
Modo indicativo (indicative mood)
Modo Indicativo (Indicative Mood) Tenses | Example Using guardare (to look/to watch) |
presente (simple present) | Io guardo. (I look/I’m looking/I’m watching/I do watch.) |
presente progressivo (present progressive) | Io sto guardando. (I‘m looking./I’m watching |
imperfetto (imperfect) | Io guardavo. (I looked/I was watching.) |
imperfetto progressivo (past/imperfect progressive) | Io stavo guardando. (I was looking.) |
passato prossimo (present perfect) | Io ho guardato. (I have looked/I did look.) |
trapassato prossimo (past perfect) | Io avevo guardato (I had looked.) |
futuro (future) | Io guarderò. (I will look.); infinitive stem |
Future anteriore (future perfect) | avrò guardato (I will have looked/watched.) |
Modo condizionale (conditional mood): Infinitive Stem + –ei, –esti, –ebbe, –emmo, –este, –ebbero
Tense | Example Using guardare (to look/watch) |
presente (present) | Io guarderei. (I would look/watch.) |
passato (past) | Io avrei guardato. (I would have looked.) |
Modo imperativo (imperative mood)
Subject Pronouns | Example Using guardare (to look/to watch) |
Tu | Guarda! ([You] look!) |
Lei (you, formal) | Guardi! ([You] look!) |
Noi | Guardiamo! ([We] Let’s look!) |
Voi | Guardate! ([You all] look!) |
Loro (plural; you, formal) | Guardino! [You] look!) |
Modo participio (participle)
Infinitive Ending | Participle Ending | Example Infinitive | Example Participle |
–are | –ato | guardare (to watch) | guardato (watched) |
–ere | –uto | ripetere (to repeat) | ripetuto (repeated) |
–ire | –ito | finire (to finish/to end) | finito (finished/ended) |
Irregular | Irregular | dire (to say/to tell) | detto (said/told) |
Modo gerundio (gerund)
Infinitive Ending | Gerund Ending | Example Infinitive | Example Gerund |
–are | –ando | guardare (to look) | guardando (looking) |
–ere | –endo | ripetere (to repeat) | ripetendo (repeating) |
–ire | –endo | dormire (to sleep) | dormendo (sleeping) |