Infinitive: The dictionary verb form: , , .
regular -are verbs and volere
Many common Italian verbs end in -are. In the present tense, you will often meet forms like , , , . These are very useful for simple daily actions.
You already saw = “to live” and = “to play”. For “I”, many verbs end in -o: . For “you” with , many forms look like “he/she”: . This is normal in polite Italian.
The verb means “to want”. A very useful pattern is + infinitive: , This is easy and natural at A1 level.
For simple requests, Italian often uses with or with : You can also use in cafes and shops.
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I live here. | ||
| I live here. | ||
| Chiara lives above the café. | ||
| Chiara lives above the café. | ||
| Marco plays at night. | ||
| Marco plays at night. | ||
| I want to sleep. | ||
| I want to sleep. | ||
| Can you play tomorrow? | ||
| Can you play tomorrow? | ||
Io abito qui.I live here.
Marco suona la tromba.Marco plays the trumpet.
Chiara abita sopra il bar.Chiara lives above the café.
Io voglio dormire.I want to sleep.
Tu puoi aiutare Sofia?Can you help Sofia?
La signora Rossi non abita a Roma.Mrs Rossi does not live in Rome.
Io voglio essere un vicino tranquillo.I want to be a quiet neighbour.
Io voglio essere una vicina tranquilla.I want to be a quiet neighbour.
Lei può parlare con Marco?Can you speak with Marco?
Practice 1/6 · Finding words
Notice the useful pattern
Tap the form practised in this unit.
.
I live here.
.
Marco plays the trumpet.
.
Chiara lives above the café.
.
I want to sleep.
Practice 2/6 · The right form
Choose the form
Use the English meaning and the pattern in this unit.
Io qui.
I live here.
Marco la tromba.
Marco plays the trumpet.
Chiara sopra il bar.
Chiara lives above the café.
Io dormire.
I want to sleep.
Tu aiutare Sofia?
Can you help Sofia?
La signora Rossi non a Roma.
Mrs Rossi does not live in Rome.
Io essere un vicino tranquillo.
I want to be a quiet neighbour.
Io essere una vicina tranquilla.
I want to be a quiet neighbour.
Lei parlare con Marco?
Can you speak with Marco?
Practice 3/6 · Fill the gaps
Complete the messages
Fill the gaps with the words from the box.
Chiara sopra il bar.
Chiara lives above the café.
Io dormire.
I want to sleep.
Tu aiutare Sofia?
Can you help Sofia?
La signora Rossi non a Roma.
Mrs Rossi does not live in Rome.
Io essere un vicino tranquillo.
I want to be a quiet neighbour.
Io essere una vicina tranquilla.
I want to be a quiet neighbour.
Lei parlare con Marco?
Can you speak with Marco?
Practice 4/6 · Building sentences
Build a sentence
Put the words in order.
I live here.
Marco plays the trumpet.
Chiara lives above the café.
I want to sleep.
Can you help Sofia?
Mrs Rossi does not live in Rome.
Practice 5/6 · In situations
What would you say?
Choose the right words for the situation.
I live here.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
I live here.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
Marco plays the trumpet.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
Marco plays the trumpet.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
Chiara lives above the café.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
Chiara lives above the café.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
I want to sleep.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
I want to sleep.
You say:
Use the meaning and Italian pattern explained in this unit.
Practice 6/6 · Matching
Connect messages and meanings
Match the pairs.
Unit complete
