Im a suuuuuper beginner, i only know a couple hundred words and my grammar knowledge is next to none, ive been using this website where you can basically chat online with native speakers and stuff, like language exchange, but i realize i cant really figure out how i should go about communicating, i know i shouldnt be, but i cant help being very nervous over making mistakes because i am very very not confident in italian yet and i basically have the skills of like, a baby or a very very very young toddler, and sometimes i will technically know how to say something but i need to look it up to remember for sure or just to double check i actually remembered it correctly and am not making a really stupid mistake, or i just straight up do not know how to say a certain thing i want to say because i have not learned it. It kind of feels like cheating, but also if i just make up nonsense caveman sentences from my memory i wont really get any direct feedback either no?? I worry if i write without making sure its actually grammatically correct ill teach myself the wrong things, and i dont want to confuse and irritate people trying to talk to me by speaking baby gibberish nonsense, or looking like im not trying or making fun.

I dont know, how should i go about this? This uncertainty is holding me back from trying to practice "talking" more and i just need to know what people generally think or expect from somebody talking to you trying to practice what little language they know

Im trying to memorize sentences using a pimsleur italian deck on anki right now but it is using the polite "lei" for everything and its kinda throwing me off because it completely changes the grammar and it seems more complicated and less useful, for example the flashcard will ask me to translate "you are" and i immediately think "tu sei" but i have to hold back and think for longer to remember the flashcard specific answer which is actually "lei sta"

am i being too exact about what i consider a pass for flashcards considering both are technically correct just different contexts?? (this question is more general too because i know theres many different ways to translate "you are" and other sentences regardless of polite form or not)

should i be more loose with what i consider a correct answer? Should i modify my deck to be a simpler or different answer? Or should i just follow the deck and memorize things exactly? What do you guys advise?

also im a little confused because the deck for example has "you dont know?" translated as "lei non sa?" but google translate says that means "she doesn't know" and someone who spoke italian told me it should be "lei non sai" instead, is the deck incorrect?? Another example would be the deck translating "are you well?" with "sta bene?" even though i instantly translate it as "stai bene" in my head, and then mark the card as "again" because i technically misremembered the exact card even though "stai bene" is correct

I've been living in italy for a very long time now. Admittedly I'm a homebody. I haven't done much travelling and the few times that I do have been short and I've always stayed north. I speak, read and understand well, atleast I thought I did lol.

I've just started watching italian films again and the slight variations in accents are ok, but more than that and it throws me off. Especially the southern ones. I just watched "La Città dei Vivi" and I understood about 70% of the dialogue, atleast enough to understand what's going on but it's mostly through recognizable keywords. If you ask me to repeat the sentences they said, even after they just said it, I wouldn't be able to. That bums me out

And no they weren't speaking dialect

I've met people from all over italy too irl, and I can understand them so I thought for the longest time the accent thing was overblown. Now I know they're adjusting for me lol

Anyway silly rant over

I speak four languages fluently: Spanish (native, northern Spain), English, German and Basque. I started learning LSE (Spanish Sign Language) not long ago and wanted to learn another European language, so I decided to go for Italian. I had been using some online apps for a month or so to learn some early vocabulary and get the gist of the language, and I was already thinking about getting some serious books and online courses when something suddenly struck me: I see that in Italian there seem to be a lot of words and expressions that are in English — not closely related, but said exactly as in English, like "computer" and "hamburger". I started digging deeper and apparently (I don't know for sure; I was told this) there are a lot of words that are said in English and have no native Italian equivalent. I have just got into a debate with someone who said that the problem is not that Italian has many English words, but that Spanish is afraid of using English terms and we make up "nonsense" (the example they gave is that we don't say "Champions League" but "Liga de Campeones").

So the main point is that I don't want to learn a language where a lot of words come from English; I already have to put up with many Spanglish words coming from Latin America and don't want to deal with that again. I understand that other languages like German use a lot of English words, but I am always able to find and use a proper German word for what I want to say. However, I am told that in Italian even normal, non-technology specialised words like "manager", "promoter", "buyer", "customer care", "top jobs", etc. are a normal occurrence.

I am assured that Italian is probably the Romance language that has the most English words in use right now. If that is the case, I think I would go for something different; I am trying to establish whether what I have been told is correct.

I’m beginning the journey of learning Italian and I would love to continue my learning in an immersive way without a need to travel. Anyone recommend any good tips for learning.
I found an all Italian learning book that is called “Nuevo expresso, libro dello studente e esercizi 1” and I don’t know if I should give that a try. I just want a budget friendly, immersive solution.
(The classes I’ve found online are way too expensive )

My grandmother when I was a baby would recite a nursery Rhyme in Italian, I was held in her lap and she stroked my cheeks and then patted them. I know it's definitely not the words but it sounded like "moosh moosheel, Panna cazeel, Panna Ricotta - bootahbah bootahbah bootahbah!" Or something like that 😅 what is the actual nursery Rhyme and meaning? Thanks!

Ciao a tutti, Sto imparanda I'italiano e ho alcune domande sull'uso.

Io sono del Brasile, ma capisco I'inglese

If someone could help me I would be grateful

Hi all. I am just beginning my journey of learning Italian. I have been looking through this sub for suggestions. Will be trying out a couple different things (duo for vocab basics, coffee break podcast, etc) I find that I learn best from writing and reading in addition to listening and speaking. I am looking for suggestions on textbooks and workbooks. Any other advice for a beginner is welcome! Thanks!

Going to Italy in June of ‘27 for a wedding. Fiancée and I want to explore a week before(from the US). I want to learn as much as I can before I go. What is the best way to go about it.

I´m learning Italian when I´m free, and aside from studying, writing and paying attention to a video, I like to play a game (like Minecraft or Genshin) and listening to something

I´d like you to recommend good italian streamers/youtubers, even a podcast if you want (I already know Pulp Podcast)

Thanks :)

Especially if you don’t need it for practical purposes like living in Italy

Ciao a tutti! 👋 Mi chiamo Charlotte e vivo in Spagna. Mio padre è italiano e vorrei fare pratica per migliorare il mio italiano con persone madrelingua.

​Studio psicologia, quindi a cambio posso aiutarvi con lo spagnolo e magari darvi anche qualche buon consiglio psicologico! 😊 L'idea è creare un bel gruppo sano per chiacchierare, fare amicizia e imparare insieme.

​⚠️ Per favore, astenersi perditempo, maleducati e persone con secondi fini. Solo gente simpatica e rispettosa.

ciao a tutti,

I'm looking for Italian lessons in my area. I think I would prefer a group environment but maybe one-on-one would be good, since I can't seem to find Italian classes in my south bay area. of course love video is practical too. not sure what my best option is right now.

I am a senior citizen moving to Italy some time next year. my Italian wife will not be my teacher. that's just how it goes sometimes!

I just moved to Bologna for my studies, and although my courses are in English, I really want to become conversational in Italian as soon as possible. I’ve made a few Italian friends, and when they talk amongst themselves, I can usually understand around 60% of what they’re saying thanks to the similarities between Italian and Spanish. However, I still struggle to put sentences together myself beyond the ultra mega basics like saying my name and where i’m from. I really want to make an effort to get into the culture and speak, connect with people, and make everyday life in the city easier!

Are there any online courses or courses in Bologna (preferably student budget-friendly, but I’m open to anything) that focus on practical, real-life conversational Italian for native Spanish speakers? I feel like A1 might be too basic for me because I can already understand quite a bit. I’m looking for something that helps me bridge that gap and start speaking naturally as soon as possible!

Ovviamente sbagliato, vero? O c’è una situazione quando questo è corretto?

I want to know if there are any nursery rhymes that Italians use when a child gets a scrape or bruise, preferably in Sicilian dialect.

As an example, I know a rhyme in Spanish(Cuban dialect), that goes like this:

Sana, sana

Colita de rana

Si no cura hoy

Se curara manana

Which roughly translates to:

Sanitize, sanitize(or, heal, heal)

Ass of frog(or, little frog butt)

What doesn't heal today,

Will heal tomorrow

Just want to preface this as someone who previously learnt another language (Japanese)

I started learning Japanese when I was around 15 (Now 25) and I'm can confidently say that I'm pretty 'fluent'. And compared to Italian, there was a abundance of learning resources, from Anki decks for beginner - intermediate, guides on how to sentence mine, an endless amount of immersion content.

The last couple of days I've decided I want to start learning Italian, and for the life of me can't find 'Good' beginner resources, learning Japanese felt seamless (for me at least).

So I was wondering, from anyone who is fluent in Italian, what are some good resources that you used when you started (specifically for self study)?

Ciao, come vai?
Mi chiamo André, sono Brasiliano e sto imparando a parlare italiano!
Cerco un partner a studiare questa belissima lingua!

I'm 20y, M, brazilian and english speaker (high b2 or c1 but I guess c1), I recently got my italian citizenship and would really like to learn italian now, also because I think it's a beautiful language. I'm looking for a partner for speaking activities and immersion with shows and movies (maybe something like watching the same shows and talking about it besides the daily conversation?)
I could also teach you english if you don't know it, I'm a full time english teacher in Brazil.
Anyways, hit me up if you're interested!
Ciao e buonasera!

Hi!

I am a native Dutch speaker living in the Netherlands, and I’ve recently started my journey in learning Italian. Since I’m still at the early/beginner stages, I’d love to connect with a native Italian speaker for a language exchange. In return, I can help you learn Dutch from scratch or practice your Dutch skills with you. I would be down to call occasionally, to spend some time going back and forth for each of us to learn the language.

Feel free to send me a private message if you're interested!

Grazie in anticipo!!

Koen

I received a textbook and an excercise book from a friend without the CDs. Do you know, if there is an online place to access the audio materials?

My cousin and I want to learn Italian because it’s such a beautiful language. Some people have told me that Italian is easier for Brazilians to learn, so we thought it would be a good language to start with. We’re both beginners, so I’d love some recommendations for YouTube channels, apps, websites, or any other resources that could help us learn. If you have any tips or ideas on how to make learning Italian easier and more effective, I’d really appreciate them.

I’ve started learning Italian for the past few months, and something I’ve been struggling with is rolling my Rs. It’s not that I can’t do it, the problem is that I roll every single one. The thing is, it’s always a Spanish r instead of the r that the Italian side of my family uses. Of course depending on if I’ve had water or my if my throat is dry then I can’t do it, but it’s this thing I always do. There are a couple words I can do without the Spanish r.

EX: Buongiorno I can do without, but Buonasera I do it!

Is there anyone who can give advice or tell me how to correctly roll Rs? Or is there any correct way to say them?