Ch 1 · Lesson 4Italian · Chapter 1 · Lesson 4 · Grammar primer
Come stai? Come sta? Names, and tu or Lei
Anna, ! And the one real choice: to a friend, to a stranger.
The short version
Polite you takes the she form: ?
, . ?
Why?Hide
Italian has two words for you to one person. is for friends, family and children; , for strangers and anyone older you do not know, takes the verb form of she. So ? is how are you to a friend, and ? the same question to a stranger. When unsure, use : an Italian who wants you to relax will say so.
How polite is it?
Every greeting sits somewhere on one line, from the friend on the sofa to the official behind a desk.
- Ciaofriends, both ways
- Salvesafe middle
- Buongiornopolite hello
- Arrivedercipolite goodbye
- ArrivederLavery formal
Tu or Lei: the one real choice
Italian has two words for you to one person, and the greeting questions change with them. Look at the coloured endings: the polite one is the she form of the verb.
| You ask | To a friend | To a stranger |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | ? | ? |
| Your name? | ? | ? |
| Sorry | | |
, Luca! ?- Hi, Luca! How are you?, . ?- Good morning, Professor. How are you?
is usually written with a capital L when it means you, to tell it apart from (she), though plenty of people write it small. When in doubt, use : being too polite costs nothing, and an Italian who wants you to relax will say so. The full story, with the verb forms, is in tu and Lei.
Names and "how are you?"
means my name is, literally I call myself. Your name goes straight after it, with no is:
Anna.- My name is Anna.!- Nice to meet you! (literally: pleasure)
Both people say . The reply to ? or ? is the same for everyone: , . ? - Fine, thanks. And you?
Saying them aloud
Italian spelling is regular. Two spellings do most of the work: is ch as in chin, and is k as in kit.
| Phrase | Say it like | Watch |
|---|---|---|
| CHOW | |
| GRAH-tsyeh | z is ts here |
| PREH-go | hard g, as in go |
? | KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee | |
| pyah-CHEH-reh | |
Going further: The whole set on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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10-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
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Lesson 4 of 40 in this chapter