Learning a new language can be an enriching and rewarding experience, and Italian, with its melodious and expressive tones, is no exception. As you embark on your journey to learn Italian, starting with the A1 level, it is crucial to build a strong foundation of basic vocabulary. Knowing key words and phrases at this stage will not only boost your confidence but also help you navigate simple conversations and everyday situations.
Greetings and Basic Expressions
One of the first things you’ll need to learn in any language is how to greet people and use basic expressions. These form the cornerstone of polite interaction and can make a significant difference in how you are perceived by native speakers.
– **Ciao** – Hello/Goodbye
– **Buongiorno** – Good morning
– **Buonasera** – Good evening
– **Buonanotte** – Good night
– **Grazie** – Thank you
– **Prego** – You’re welcome/Please (in the sense of inviting someone to do something)
– **Sì** – Yes
– **No** – No
– **Per favore** – Please
– **Scusa/Scusi** – Excuse me/Sorry (informal/formal)
– **Come stai?** – How are you? (informal)
– **Come sta?** – How are you? (formal)
– **Bene, grazie** – Fine, thank you
– **Mi chiamo…** – My name is…
– **Piacere** – Nice to meet you
Numbers and Counting
Understanding numbers is essential, whether you are shopping, telling time, or giving your age. Here are the basic numbers you need to know at the A1 level:
– **Uno** – One
– **Due** – Two
– **Tre** – Three
– **Quattro** – Four
– **Cinque** – Five
– **Sei** – Six
– **Sette** – Seven
– **Otto** – Eight
– **Nove** – Nine
– **Dieci** – Ten
– **Ventuno** – Twenty-one
– **Trenta** – Thirty
– **Quaranta** – Forty
– **Cinquanta** – Fifty
– **Sessanta** – Sixty
– **Settanta** – Seventy
– **Ottanta** – Eighty
– **Novanta** – Ninety
– **Cento** – One hundred
Days of the Week and Months
Knowing the days of the week and months of the year is fundamental for planning and understanding schedules.
Days of the Week
– **Lunedì** – Monday
– **Martedì** – Tuesday
– **Mercoledì** – Wednesday
– **Giovedì** – Thursday
– **Venerdì** – Friday
– **Sabato** – Saturday
– **Domenica** – Sunday
Months of the Year
– **Gennaio** – January
– **Febbraio** – February
– **Marzo** – March
– **Aprile** – April
– **Maggio** – May
– **Giugno** – June
– **Luglio** – July
– **Agosto** – August
– **Settembre** – September
– **Ottobre** – October
– **Novembre** – November
– **Dicembre** – December
Common Verbs
Verbs are the backbone of any language. At the A1 level, you’ll start with the most common and useful ones.
– **Essere** – To be
– Io sono – I am
– Tu sei – You are (informal)
– Lui/Lei è – He/She is
– **Avere** – To have
– Io ho – I have
– Tu hai – You have (informal)
– Lui/Lei ha – He/She has
– **Fare** – To do/make
– Io faccio – I do/make
– Tu fai – You do/make (informal)
– Lui/Lei fa – He/She does/makes
– **Andare** – To go
– Io vado – I go
– Tu vai – You go (informal)
– Lui/Lei va – He/She goes
– **Mangiare** – To eat
– Io mangio – I eat
– Tu mangi – You eat (informal)
– Lui/Lei mangia – He/She eats
Useful Nouns
Nouns are necessary for naming people, places, and things. Here are some common nouns you’ll encounter at the A1 level:
People
– **Uomo** – Man
– **Donna** – Woman
– **Bambino/Bambina** – Boy/Girl
– **Amico/Amica** – Friend (male/female)
– **Famiglia** – Family
Places
– **Casa** – House/Home
– **Scuola** – School
– **Lavoro** – Work
– **Città** – City
– **Paese** – Country
Things
– **Libro** – Book
– **Telefono** – Phone
– **Tavolo** – Table
– **Sedia** – Chair
– **Macchina** – Car
Adjectives
Adjectives are used to describe nouns and give more information about them. Here are some common adjectives:
– **Bello/Bella** – Beautiful (male/female)
– **Brutto/Brutta** – Ugly (male/female)
– **Grande** – Big
– **Piccolo/Piccola** – Small (male/female)
– **Vecchio/Vecchia** – Old (male/female)
– **Nuovo/Nuova** – New (male/female)
– **Buono/Buona** – Good (male/female)
– **Cattivo/Cattiva** – Bad (male/female)
Questions and Interrogatives
Being able to ask questions is crucial for communication. Here are some basic interrogative words and phrases:
– **Chi?** – Who?
– **Che cosa?** – What?
– **Quando?** – When?
– **Dove?** – Where?
– **Perché?** – Why?
– **Come?** – How?
– **Quanto/Quanta?** – How much? (male/female)
– **Quale?** – Which?
Prepositions
Prepositions are small words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. Here are some common Italian prepositions:
– **Di** – Of
– **A** – To/At
– **Da** – From
– **In** – In
– **Con** – With
– **Su** – On
– **Per** – For
– **Tra/Fra** – Between/Among
Food and Drink
Food is an integral part of Italian culture, and knowing some basic food-related vocabulary can be very useful.
Common Foods
– **Pane** – Bread
– **Formaggio** – Cheese
– **Carne** – Meat
– **Pesce** – Fish
– **Frutta** – Fruit
– **Verdura** – Vegetables
– **Pasta** – Pasta
Beverages
– **Acqua** – Water
– **Vino** – Wine
– **Birra** – Beer
– **Caffè** – Coffee
– **Tè** – Tea
Basic Phrases for Daily Use
These phrases can help you get through everyday interactions more smoothly:
– **Dove si trova…?** – Where is…?
– **Quanto costa?** – How much does it cost?
– **Vorrei…** – I would like…
– **Posso avere…?** – Can I have…?
– **Che ore sono?** – What time is it?
– **Parli inglese?** – Do you speak English?
– **Non capisco** – I don’t understand
– **Mi può aiutare?** – Can you help me?
– **Ho bisogno di…** – I need…
Time and Dates
Understanding how to tell time and speak about dates is important for scheduling and daily activities.
Telling Time
– **Che ora è?** – What time is it?
– **È l’una** – It’s one o’clock
– **Sono le due** – It’s two o’clock
– **Mezzogiorno** – Noon
– **Mezzanotte** – Midnight
– **E un quarto** – Quarter past
– **E mezza** – Half past
– **Meno un quarto** – Quarter to
Dates
– **Oggi** – Today
– **Domani** – Tomorrow
– **Ieri** – Yesterday
– **Settimana** – Week
– **Mese** – Month
– **Anno** – Year
Family and Relationships
Understanding terms related to family and relationships is essential, especially in a culture where family ties are highly valued.
– **Madre** – Mother
– **Padre** – Father
– **Fratello** – Brother
– **Sorella** – Sister
– **Nonno** – Grandfather
– **Nonna** – Grandmother
– **Zio/Zia** – Uncle/Aunt
– **Cugino/Cugina** – Cousin (male/female)
Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing more information about how, when, where, or to what degree something happens.
– **Sempre** – Always
– **Mai** – Never
– **Spesso** – Often
– **Raramente** – Rarely
– **Adesso** – Now
– **Poi** – Then
– **Subito** – Immediately
– **Qui** – Here
– **Lì** – There
Colors
Knowing the names of colors can be very useful, whether you’re shopping for clothes or describing objects.
– **Rosso/Rossa** – Red (male/female)
– **Blu** – Blue
– **Giallo/Gialla** – Yellow (male/female)
– **Verde** – Green
– **Nero/Nera** – Black (male/female)
– **Bianco/Bianca** – White (male/female)
– **Grigio/Grigia** – Gray (male/female)
– **Marrone** – Brown
– **Rosa** – Pink
– **Viola** – Purple
Weather
Talking about the weather is a common conversation starter. Here are some basic weather-related words:
– **Sole** – Sun
– **Pioggia** – Rain
– **Neve** – Snow
– **Vento** – Wind
– **Nuvola** – Cloud
– **Caldo** – Hot
– **Freddo** – Cold
– **Sereno** – Clear
– **Nuvoloso** – Cloudy
Transportation
Knowing how to talk about different modes of transportation can be very helpful, especially if you’re traveling.
– **Macchina** – Car
– **Autobus** – Bus
– **Treno** – Train
– **Aereo** – Airplane
– **Bicicletta** – Bicycle
– **Moto** – Motorcycle
– **Taxi** – Taxi
– **Metro** – Subway
Shopping
Shopping is an essential activity, and knowing some basic vocabulary can make it much easier.
– **Negozio** – Store
– **Supermercato** – Supermarket
– **Prezzo** – Price
– **Sconto** – Discount
– **Vendita** – Sale
– **Carta di credito** – Credit card
– **Contanti** – Cash
– **Ricevuta** – Receipt
Health and Emergencies
It’s always good to know some basic terms related to health and emergencies, just in case.
– **Medico** – Doctor
– **Ospedale** – Hospital
– **Farmacia** – Pharmacy
– **Ambulanza** – Ambulance
– **Emergenza** – Emergency
– **Malato/Malata** – Sick (male/female)
– **Dolore** – Pain
– **Febbre** – Fever
– **Allergia** – Allergy
Conclusion
Mastering these fundamental words and phrases will give you a solid foundation as you continue to learn Italian. Practice using them in sentences and real-life situations to reinforce your understanding and build your confidence. Remember, language learning is a journey, and every word you learn brings you one step closer to fluency. Buona fortuna! (Good luck!)
