Kilo Lingo
Italian grammar Part of Chapter 4

CEFR A1

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Italian School and Town Words: a scuola, in piazza, Scusi, dov'è...?

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

School and town is mostly words, and many are close to English. Two things need learning on top: the form for a woman, , and the small word before a place: , but .

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masculinefeminine (the woman's form)no articlea + the articleWhat do the colours mean?
ItalianEnglish
the teacher, a woman ( : a man)
the student, a woman ( : a man)
the teacher, a man or a woman
at school, to school: no article
at or to the cinema: a + the article
, ...?Excuse me, where is...?
straight on
, on the right, on the left

At school: il professore, la professoressa

  • the book the book
  • the exercise book the exercise book
  • the pen the pen
  • the school bag the school bag
ItalianEnglish
school
the class, the classroom
the lesson
a piece of homework
the test (in class)
the exam
the mark
the page
the pupil

Pupils call a secondary teacher Prof, or , and use , not the first name. Homework is plural:

  • . - I'm doing my homework.

School subjects

ItalianEnglishItalianEnglish
Italian history
English geography
maths science
musicart

A subject is :

  • . - My favourite subject is history.
  • . - I'm studying Italian. ( is common too.)
  • ? - Do you speak English? (with , no article)

People: a form for a woman

masculinefeminine (the woman's form)What do the colours mean?

Three patterns cover nearly every word for a person:

PatternManWoman
-o to -aalunna
add -essa
add -essa
one for both
Four people in their work clothes: a woman doctor with long hair and a bow, in a white coat with a stethoscope; a man teacher with glasses, a moustache and a tie, pointing at a board and holding a book; a man cook with a moustache, in a chef's hat and apron, holding a frying pan with an egg; a man police officer with a moustache, in a blue uniform and cap.

La dottoressa: the doctor, a woman (il dottore for a man). Il professore: the teacher. Il cuoco: the cook. Il poliziotto: the police officer.

Most words in -ante and -ente keep one form, and only the article changes: , , . is an exception: it takes -essa. Words in -ore often take -essa or -trice: learn those one at a time.

Around town: piazza, stazione, museo

  • the square the square
  • the church the church
  • the museum the museum
  • the station the station
ItalianEnglishItalianEnglish
the centre the stop
the cinemathe bus
the library the train
the park the ticket
the supermarket the bank
the baker's the chemist's
the towerthe hospital
the bridge the block of flats

is the heart of an Italian town: the bar, the church and the town hall are there, and people meet there in the evening. and never change in the plural:

  • - two cinemas
  • - two buses

Where I live

  • . - I live in the centre.
  • . - I live on the outskirts.
  • . - I live in a block of flats with a lift.
  • . - My area is lively.

Most Italians in a town live in a flat. is any large building; it is a palace only when it is a grand historic one.

A scuola, al cinema: where you are and where you go

no articlea + the articleWhat do the colours mean?

The same words say being somewhere and going there: is at school and to school. The choice is a bare preposition, or with the article:

No articlea + the article
  • . - I go to school by bus.
  • . - I study at the library.
  • . - Tonight we' going to the cinema.
  • . - See you at the station. ( is common too.)

Towns take , countries , and transport , except on foot:

  • Bologna. - I live in Bologna.
  • . - I live in Italy.
  • , . - I go to school by bus, or on foot.

Asking the way: Scusi, dov'è...?

To a stranger, start with , the polite excuse me. To a friend it is .

  • , ? - Excuse me, where is the station?
  • , ? - Excuse me, is there a chemist's near here?
  • ? - Is it far?
You hearIt means
.Go straight on.
.Turn right.
.Turn left.
at the corner
at the traffic lights
at the crossroads
near the square
.It's five minutes away.

and are polite commands, the form a stranger uses with you. A map is .

Free time: calcio, sport, videogiochi

  • . - I play football.
  • . - I play video games.
  • . - I do sport.
  • . - I go to the gym.
  • . - I'll take you to the cinema (my treat).
  • . - My friend is nice.

Games take : , . is the word for a nice, likeable person, and one of the first things Italians say about someone.

A first day: a short scene

  • , Sam. . - Hi, I'm Sam. I'm new.
  • Sam! Giulia. - Hi Sam! I'm Giulia.
  • ? - Who's the maths teacher?
  • Ferraro. , . - Ms Ferraro. She's strict, but nice.
  • ? - And where's the library?
  • , . - Straight on, then right.
  • . ? - After school we' going to the square. Coming?

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
professora takes -essa
(daily) .school takes no article
a cinema. .the cinema takes the article
in Bologna. Bologna.towns take a
. .games take a
due autobusi never changes
(stranger) to strangers

is not impossible: it points at one particular school building ( , to my daughter's school). For school as a routine, it is .

What to do next

  1. Say where you are going today with , or : ....
  2. Ask the way to three places in your own town: , ...?.
  3. Next: articulated prepositions, where and come from.

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/3

Build the word for the woman.

  1. il professore: a woman who teaches

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. lo studente: a woman at university

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. l'alunno: a girl at school

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Sort into groups

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A bare preposition, or a plus the article? Sort each place.

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

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Complete the story

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You stop a stranger in the street. Choose the right words for each gap.

Asking the way

, dov'è la stazione? È vicino piazza. Vada sempre , poi giri a destra. Grazie!

Gap 1 of 3

Matching

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Match each direction to its English.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say teacher in Italian?
is the general word and works for a man or a woman. At secondary school pupils say or , often shortened to prof and prof. A primary school teacher is or maestra. Pupils address a teacher as Prof, or and use .
When do you say a and when ?
Everyday places you go to as an activity take a bare preposition: , , , , , , , . Most other places take plus the article: , , , . No rule sorts every place; learn each one with its phrase.
How do you ask for directions in Italian?
To a stranger, start with , the polite excuse me: , ? or , ? The answer will use (on the right), (on the left), (straight on), (at the corner) and (at the traffic lights).
What are the school subjects in Italian?
, , , , , , , and educazione (PE). A subject is , and your favourite is . After a language usually takes the article, ( is common too); after it usually drops: .
How do you say where you live in Italian?
plus a town and plus a country or region: Bologna, . For your part of town: (in the centre) or (on the outskirts). A block of flats is , and is the area you live in.