Learn the Italian Definite & Indefinite Articles

In Italian, articles accompany nouns and indicate whether they are a) masculine or feminine (gender) and b) singular or plural (number). In Italian grammar, there are definite articles (il, lo, la, l’, i, gli, le) and indefinite articles (un, una, uno, un’) . In this article, you’ll learn the difference between Italian definite and indefinite …

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Famous Italian Place Names (and how to pronounce them correctly)

In Italian and English, and most other European languages for that matter, the names of the most historically important places tend to get translated. For example, London in Italian becomes Londra, Paris is Parigi, and Köln is Colonia, just to name a few. The good news for learners is that, in most cases, the English …

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The Alphabet in Italian (A to Z) with Pronunciation

When learning a language, one of the first aspects that we must analyse is the alphabet, or more specifically, the ordered sequence of letters and sounds that allow us to read and write. Let’s take a look at the aspects that clearly distinguish the Italian alphabet from those of other languages. The Italian alphabet derives …

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Learn the Italian Modal Verbs: Volere, Potere, Dovere, Sapere

Italian modal verbs

“Modal verb.” Sounds like a scary grammatical term, doesn’t it? Well, it actually isn’t as fear-inducing as you might think! Modal verbs – known as a verbi servili in Italian – always serve the verb that follows them. Their job is to express likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestion, order, obligation, or advice, or in …

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Discover the Longest Italian Words (and the Runners-up!)

We all know that the Italian language is abundant in rich, complicated and, at times, convoluted words. Among them are also some very long words, the most difficult to memorise, although they are helped by a pleasant and fun melody. What is the longest Italian word you know? It might be a word such as: …

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