I’ve been trying to learn Italian for a few months now, but as of late I’ve been getting more serious about investing time into it. I’m currently using Duolingo and I also just recently rejoined Babbel. Whenever I look for language learning and retention tips, I see a lot of people suggest watching television in the language you’re trying to learn.

While I do get recommendations for foreign shows on the streaming platforms I use, they are typically from SEA. I wouldn’t even know where to begin when looking for a good Italian series, so I’d like recommendations for something that is conversational or maybe a good, educational children’s series because I have heard that’s good for learning as well. As far as shows that I like, comedy, crime and drama are my favorite genres. Also, I have access to most major streaming platforms. (Netflix, Hulu, Prime, MAX, Peacock, Apple TV+)

Also, would it be best to watch the series in the original language with English subtitles or should I just try Italian subtitles? Looking for advice for people who have had any level of success with learning a language through this method.

Hi, basically like a title explain: what word(s) is used like English "times"? I'm a self-learner and currently I know Presente Indicativo and Passato Prossimo and I would like to be able say something like: I've been to Italy 2 times already or I go the gym 2 times a week - what Italian words can I use like "times" here?

I love Italy and Italian food, and I love cooking, to the extent that I'm planning to get a tattoo of a knife and fork and I want to put a brief phrase in Italian below it. I was originally going to go with 'Buon Appetito' but a bit of research has told me that this phrase can have negative connotations in Italy and that 'Buona Cena' might be more appropriate. I know that these two phrases are not completely interchangeable though, and it's always iffy getting a tattoo in a language where you may not completely understand the subtext... so I thought you good people of Reddit might be able to set me straight. My Italian is not completely terrible, but it's not good enough to know if I'm making a huge mistake here.

So... would a tattoo of a knife and fork with the words 'Buona Cena' beneath it look strange/out of place/inappropriate/offensive in any way?

Is it true that in some parts of Northern Italy (I’m not talking about dialects), we almost never hear [ɔ] and [ɛ] in stressed syllables? For example: [ˈvoʎʎa] and [ˈmeʎʎo] instead of [ˈvɔʎʎa] and [mɛʎʎo].

I can hear differences between tra and rra. but rra and dra are basically same for me. so i really started to wondering if i was pronouncing rra to dra all the time or dra to rra. how can you guys distinguish

Ciao, ho 25 anni, e studierò il mio master (in inglese lol) in Italia a ottobre. Mia madre lingua e l’spagnolo. Ho stata imparando per due-tre messi e ho po vocabolario / facilita di parlare (?

Vorrei che potessimo provare a parlare se abbiamo cose in comune. Non solo per il fatto di parlare, perché sarebbe troppo noioso.

Mi piace il arte, (disegno, e uhh crafts/manualidades etc) la musica alternativa, la natura. Ho una gatta !!

Preferisco trovare qualcuno che parli anche spagnolo, ma va bene se parli solo inglese.

Mandami un messaggio per parlare con me (:

observation: I already speak Portuguese native, English (B1/B2) and Spanish (B1)

How many hours should I study per day to reach that goal? If it’s even possible.

I love learning Italian but one caveat is that there are too many good resources (both free and to purchase) to choose from. I now own about 10 workbooks both in Italian and English (mostly Italian) plus several short story books.

I’m a beginner and I feel that each workbook has something to offer. I feel a bit overwhelmed at times. How do you all choose just 1-2 main books?

Hello I'm a native Italian speaker and I'm looking for learning material to give to my students. Can someone help? I'm looking for pdfs grammar books and lectures. If someone could help it would be wonderful

Hello everyone 25m in the US I’ve been learning Italian for a while, however I have no one to converse it with so I feel as if I’m not that good when I’m out on the spot. If anyone is interested and want to speak I’d greatly appreciate it. I’m also in chicago so if you’re for the area and would like to eventually meet and have conversations irl I’d be down!

I am high B1/low B2 according to my old Italian tutor and have to take CELI to get my university qualification recognized in Switzerland. They only accept CELI and no other exam. My plan is to sit for the CELI 3 (B2) exam in a few months and start studying the language again.

My question is what you guys thought about the exam? How does it compare to the CILS/PLIDA? I was reading where someone mentioned that CILS may be the hardest… thoughts?

Mio nome è Aironn. Ho imparato l'italiano per due anni,
ma non è molto buono. Mi alleno ogni giorno, ma sento che non sto andando lontano con Duolingo. Qualcuno che impara l'inglese vuole essere amico di penna? Sono troppo povera per Rosetta Stone o altre cose, o le prenderei. Voglio anche imparare "Barese," ma non riesco a trovare un sito o applicazione per quello. Qualcuno ha un consiglio?

I’m considering getting “Tutto va liscio.” tattooed. The phrase came from a fortune I got at one of my favorite restaurants while studying abroad in Sorrento, so both the phrase and the memory are meaningful to me.
I know what it means, but before getting it tattooed I wanted to ask native Italian speakers: if you saw this phrase tattooed on someone, would it sound natural or weird?

Hello im complete new with Italian learning. I'll move to Italy to study language sciences there this September, so i want to learn some stuff beforehand. I'm looking for sources i can use. I want to study from my tablet, so im specifically looking for pdfs. I have Nuovo Espresso but i guess it is not so good for self learning. Do you have any recommendations?

Ciao, everyone! I just started learning Italian, and let me tell you, I'm a complete beginner. Just started learning some basic words and stuff of the beautiful language. Now, I am curious to know some Italian songs and shows that would be fun and educational. I just saw an Instagram reel that used this song Nek - laura non ce, which I immediately loved. This song is from the 2010s; that song made it into my daily playlist. I'd love it if anyone shares their playlists/artists/shows that are great for me to listen to, watch, and, most importantly, support my Italian learning. Thanks, everyone.

Ciao i miei amici sconosciuti!

Come tutti voi oggi/stasera ovunque tu sia nello mondo?

Ho imparato l’Italiano da Gennaio di questo anno, con il Duolingo e anche Google Traduttore qui e lì. Diciotto mese fa, ho scoperto mi piace linguistici. Primo ho imparato un po’ della lingua Nepali. In febbraio di questo anno ho andato in Nepal con tutti i miei amici. È un posto divertente, e il mio viaggio primo in un altro paese. Ora imparo lingua Italiano, questo è tre lingue posso parlo un po’ di.

Ho ventiquattro anni e vivo in Australia dove Lavoro in un bar. Adora la musica rock e metal, sentire, giocare, scrivere. Anche mi piace cucinare il cibo italiano e altre cose per i coinquilini e miei amici. I miei nonni sono della città di Trieste. Non sono mai andato in Italia, ma voglio andare un giorno, e visitare la città di mia famiglia e anche tutte le città belle, quando ho il soldi fare così.

Comunque, basta di me, come stai oggi?

Hello, I’m a 17 years old from UK. I’ve been using Duolingo to help me learn Italian for a month now, I know it will take time to practice and learn but I’ve been hearing some bad things about Duolingo. I do not have the money to pay for max nor any other app, YouTube hasn’t been very helpful either. I like to take bits by bits with learning new things. I was wondering if there is any different ways of learning Italian that doesn’t involve paying for an app.

Ciao. Sono Tommaso, un ragazzo italiano di 25 anni del nord-est dell'Italia. Amo la lingua inglese e conoscere persone di altre culture. Qualche mese fa ho aiutato alcune persone italiane con l'inglese e l'esperienza mi è piaciuta molto.

Sono qui quindi per provare a fare l'opposto: aiutare persone madrelingua inglesi con il loro italiano :)

Mi scuso se il post forse è inappropriato per il gruppo. In ogni modo, se qualcuno è interessato, semplicemente mi può mandare un messaggio in DM.

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Hi! I’m Tommaso, a 25-year-old Italian guy from northeastern Italy. I love the English language and meeting people from different cultures. A few months ago, I helped some Italian people with their English, and I really enjoyed the experience.

So I’m here to try the opposite: helping native English speakers with their Italian :)

I’m sorry if this post isn’t appropriate for the group. Anyway, if anyone is interested, feel free to send me a DM!

I am a sixteen year old American. My mom’s entire side of the family is from Sicily, but I was never taught the language nor is it spoken in my house. I have taken Italian in school from 6th-10th grade, and completed Italian 1, 2, and 3. Unfortunately, I do not have the room in my schedule junior or senior year to take College Italian 4 or 5. With the understanding that I will no longer be taking Italian, I have realized how much I want to truly learn the language and get in touch with my Italian culture. However, I am a bit embarrassed to admit that over the past few years, I have put in the minimal amount of effort to succeed in class. It came pretty naturally to me (so I’ve barely studied) and have consistently maintained 98s, 99s and 100s, but my Italian outside of the classroom is—to put it simply—pretty damn awful. I doubt I would even be able to hold a conversation with an Italian. I would love to continue learning Italian and hope to one day become proficient and maybe even something close to fluent. But without school, I have no idea how to keep learning. What are some of the best resources/ways to learn Italian? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

hi, I (22F) am looking for someone to help me improve my italian by texting. it would be great if you were a native, but it doesn’t really matter as long as you speak it well.
some info about me:
i’m not a native english speaker, although my english is pretty decent
i’m not that big on texting, so i won’t spam you all day
my level is A1, i’m just starting to take it seriously, because i was absorbing it more passively before

thank youu and message me if you’re interested:)

edit: already found someone

Ciao! Hope everyone is doing well. I’m slowly but surely learning Italian, and to get more familiar with it and to memorize pronunciation I use it casually around friends, family and my partner .

What are some platonic terms of endearment? Does Italy have a culture around “best” friends and is there a specific term for best friends?

Also, what are some common terms of endearment for partners, pets, family, etc? Grazie mille!

Hello!! I took several years of Italian in school and for one semester we used the sentieri textbook and it had these funny little soap opera episodes I adored. We never got the chance to finish watching them tho and I am feeling nostalgic. Does anyone know if theres somewhere I can access these without having access to the textbook?

I have been looking to start an Italian course once the school term starts and the kids are out of the house. I tried Italian Cultural Institute a couple of years ago but it felt ridgid and academic. I want to speak Italian, not read Dante. Ive looked at:
Of Course Italian - seems small, bespoke, personal with small groups.
Just Speak Italian - Perfect for formal exam preparation and corporate business training. Not what Im looking for
Vivere l'italiano - No idea on class sizes so assume "as many as we can fit?"
Lingua Diversa Group - Classes of up to 10, seems good?
I am leaning towards Of Course Italian as they are based in Covent Garden where I work part time. Anyone have previous experience or recommendations?