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Grammar 4

Preview

Here’s a preview of the phrases you’ll be learning in this lesson.


Italian English

Voglio un gelato.

I want an ice cream.

Giuseppe vuole un giornale.

Giuseppe wants a newspaper.

Vuoi il mio gelato?

→ No, voglio un caffè.

Do you want my ice cream?

→ No, I want a coffee.

Anche mio fratello vuole un caffè.

My brother wants a coffee too.

Voglio andare a Roma.

I want to go to Rome.

Anche Anna vuole andare a Roma.

Anna wants to go to Rome too.

Vuoi andare a Napoli?

→ No, voglio andare a casa.

Do you want to go to Naples?

→ No, I want to go home.

Posso andare a casa.

I can go home.

Posso andare a Napoli domani.

I can go to Naples tomorrow.

Non puoi andare a Firenze.

You can't go to Florence.

Mia sorella può andare a Firenze.

My sister can go to Florence.

Voglio capire la canzone.

I want to understand the song.

Non puoi capire quel racconto.

You can't understand that story.

Puoi sentire quella canzone?

→ Sì, posso sentire la canzone.

Can you hear that song?

→ Yes, I can hear the song.

Mio padre non può sentire niente.

My father can't hear anything.

Puoi vedere il mio biglietto?

→ Non posso vedere niente.

Can you see my ticket?

→ I can't see anything.

Anna deve andare a Napoli.

Anna has to go to Naples.

Devi vedere questo articolo.

You have to see this article.

Mia madre non può capire l'articolo.

My mother can't understand the article.

Vuoi venire a Milano?

→ Devo venire.

Do you want to come to Milan?

→ I have to come.

Anche Giuseppe deve venire.

Giuseppe has to come too.

Devo trovare un racconto.

I have to find a story.

Dove vuoi andare?

→ Voglio andare a Milano.

Where do you want to go?

→ I want to go to Milan.

Vuoi questo caffè?

→ No, non voglio niente.

Do you want this coffee?

→ No, I don't want anything.

Vocabulary Exercises

Exercise 4.1 - listening 0/27

Exercise 4.2 - speaking 0/27

Phrase Exercises

Exercise 4.3 - listening 0/24

Exercise 4.4 - speaking 0/24

Key concepts

  • Most of the sentences in this lesson use two verbs in a row in a structure like Voglio andare, I want to go. In this structure the second verb is in a form known as the infinitive. In English the infinitive is usually preceded by the word to (as in to go). In Italian, infinitives generally end in one of the three endings -are, -ere or -ire. The following forms are all infinitives: vedere, to see, andare, to go, sentire, to hear, capire, to understand, venire, to come and trovare, to find.

  • The word for nothing in Italian is niente. When used in a sentence, niente is usually used together with the word non, not, to create a double negative structure: Non voglio niente, literally I don’t want nothing. In English the two negatives would cancel each other out, producing a positive idea (I don’t want nothing, therefore I want something), but in Italian this doesn’t happen. Double negatives are very common and always convey a single negative idea. In this case non voglio niente means I don’t want anything.

  • When using the possessive adjectives (mio/mia, tuo/tua etc.) with nouns for close relatives (padre, sorella etc.), the definite article is usually omitted. So we have mio padre, not il mio padre.


Next Lesson: Grammar 5

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