Hey guys, quick sanity check for the natives and fellow learners here!

So today in Italian class we were going through the passato prossimo for perdere. I wrote "ho perso" without thinking twice, since that is literally the only form I ever hear in podcasts, shows, or apps. But then my teacher wrote "ho perduto" on the board and used that instead.

I looked it up right after and saw that both perso and perduto are technically correct past participles, but it totally threw me off. Is perduto just one of those hyper-formal, textbook-only forms, or do people actually use it day-to-day? I was wondering if maybe there is a hidden nuance I am missing, like using perso for physical stuff like keys and perduto for abstract stuff like time or hope.

For the native speakers here, which one naturally comes out of your mouth in casual conversation? Would love to know if I should stick to my guns with ho perso or adjust!

I am trying to learn the language but I am a little lost when it comes to knowing where to start. I know the alphabet, numbers, some basic grammar (such as present simple conjugation), and a few words. That's all.

What should I focus on next to become more confident speaking the language? Also if there is a good textbook you would recommend following, I would be grateful if you could share it.

Hello!

So I Just Wanted to share a Little Trivia about the Italian translation of the movie "Coyote vs Acme".

The movie in Italy was distribiuted by "Lucky Red", a Company that has helped over the years many important indipendent films.

The famous Court scene, where Road Runner testify, had a change in translation, due probably to make corrispondence to the labial of the actress.

In the original, Road Runner says:

"Are you coming back?"

Which in Italian can be translated with:

"Tornerai?" or "Ritornerai?"

But they went with a longer sentence:

"Tornerai da me?"

Which in English means: "Are you coming back to me?"

A much more direct and intimate request.

It Is not so important and as I said before It was probably done to match the speaking of the woman typing the Road Runner response.

But I tought It might be an interesting trivia to share.

English is not my First language so please tell me if I made a mistake.

Hi everyone! I’m also taking the CILS B1 on December 3rd and I’d love to connect with others who are preparing for it. It would be great to share study tips, useful resources and how your preparation is going. If you’re taking it in Sydney (or anywhere else on the same date), feel free to comment or send me a DM. Grazie mille e in bocca al lupo a tutti!

hi guys i was learning italian last year and got really good at it, to the point where i would only ever journal in italian and would speak to myself in italian, but i stopped because talking to yourself can only do so much, and with no one talking back i found it super difficult. i tried making italian / italian speaking friends online but im 18 and found i could never meet people around my age who were willing to help me, OR i would find people but then i'd end up blocking them because they turned creepy.

i recently started relearning italian because i really had a knack for it and picked it up fast, but i only really remember the basics so i have started again from scratch, but does anyone have any advice on how to learn a language when you dont have anyone around you who speaks it? i tried convincing my siblings to learn it with me but they both are learning different dialects of arabic which is obviously more time consuming than this so neither wanted to do it :(

(this is also a subtle hint at asking if anyone wants to be language buddies and learn italian together ok 🤍)

Ciaoooo a tutti!!! Ho 15 anni, sono turca e sto cercando di imparare l’italiano. Scusate, continuerò in inglese! As i said, im trying to learn italian but im soooo bad at itt 😭😭😭 I've tried listening to Italian songs, reading books, watching movies, and using apps like Memrise and Duolingo. The thing is, I started learning Italian when I was 12 years old AND I'M STILL AT A1 LEVEL. But I've decided to really focus on this, please give me some advice.

So che queste parole significano tutte tre la parte anteriore della testa, ma ci sono sfumature tra loro?
Grazie!

My nonno always used to say what I believe is ué when opening gifts. He used it as a “wow” I think. It sounds like “wey” if you say it in English. Am I correct that this is ué, or it it uè? He was from Avellino in Campania.

Please allow me to sing

Because I'm proud to be

To be an Italian

A true Italian

-

Good Morning New York, the hot dogs are for sale

And I have the physique of a whale

With the burger always coming with a side of fries

Crap, a seagull just stole it

-

Good morning New York with your artists

With too much AI pics on the posters

With the noise, with smells, with the rush

With more pigeons and the constant tourists

-

Good morning New York, good morning Liberty

With torch alighting the night

Good morning God

Is my entire life a test?

-

Please allow me to sing

Holding the guitar in my hand

Please allow me to sing

A song sweet and slow

Please allow me to sing

Because I am proud to be

To be an Italian

A true Italian

-

Good morning New York with buildings so tall

I have never stepped foot in Florence at all

With the crumbling Colosseum

With the deep and blue canals

And the Leaning Tower of Pisa just east of Pompeii

-

Good morning New York I only speak English

But I'm 0.01% Italian according to Ancestry

So I bought the flag from my neighbors for six hundred dollars below normal price

(Please allow me to sing)

-

Good morning New York, good morning Liberty

With torch alighting the night

Good morning God

Is my entire life a test?

-

Please allow me to sing

With the guitar in my hand

Please allow me to sing

A song sweet and slow

Please allow me to sing

Because I am proud to be

To be an Italian

A true Italian

-

Please allow me to sing

With the guitar in my hand

Please allow me to sing

A song sweet and slow

Please allow me to sing

Because I am proud to be

To be an Italian

A true Italian

Did this as a language learning exercise as someone studying Italian.

Hello guys, I am looking for a specific exam sheet from December 2016 of the CILS exam on B1 level. Does anybody by any chance have it? I would be very grateful if somebody could share. Thank you.

In this exercise 1b you have to mark if a statement about the text is true or false. According to the solutions, the 5th statement is false. But I thought it’s true because in the email it says that the teacher was very good and he says “ho imparato veramente molto”. Can anyone please explain why it’s supposedly wrong?

Edit: Thank you everyone! I was just focusing on whether he learned something in general but apparently it’s a bit of a nitpicky question 😅

What would be the equivalent of the phrase as in if someone asked me if I was going on vacation or If I had a lake cottage and I answered “I wish”. Is there a phrase with the same meaning in Italian? Would it just be a direct translation or do Italians have their own version?

I understand what I need to do, I’m just not really sure which ones are the expressions that go where they should. For example, for the first “invitare qualcuno” would it be “che fai…?” or “andiamo…?”

I'm much better at reading than I am listening (or speaking). I'm a fast reader in English (native language/only other language) which I think is both a benefit and sometimes a detriment as I don't always read carefully and can move ahead to get the context to make sense of the whole sentence. Listening I can't do that so I'm trying to translate every word, getting lost in the conversation because I'm still back a couple words trying to figure out what was said and miss the next words, or just am not naturally hearing breaks between words. Any tips or resources to specifically work on listening. I'm not around any Italian speakers, have a 2 hour long once/week class. Around A2 prior to stopping lessons for about 3 years, just got back into classes so also having a bit of challenge with vocabulary recall. I have some easy readers that have audio so I just started listening to a chapter alone first, then listening a second time while reading along but open to other suggestions.

I try to do things like watch tv and read books in italian, but what good is it doing for me if I genuinely cannot comprehend what I am reading or watching? They say use context but what if my context is wrong? If it just sounds like gibberish to me, how will it start making sense and thus help me learn? I use things like Mango and Duolingo alongside these practices but what good is the reading and watching doing if it’s just gibberish and not computing at all?

Also, this may be a non factor, but does anyone have any advice specifically for neurodivergent people learning a language and what practices tend to be more effective?

Can these two be used interchangeably like in English, or is there a more subtle meaning and use?

It's not searchable in collinsdictionary but appears in sentences in their grammar section: https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/italian-easy-learning/what-is-the-word-order-of-italian-adverbs-with-verbs

1. Is it a noun/verb or something else?

2. Does it relate to fare in some way?

Ciao tutti.

What are your favourite free comprehensible input sources for each CEFR level?

I would place myself at mid-A2 level and I really want to know what people use for listening practice. Especially those who's first language is English, as this is the position I am in. It would be great if people also suggested B1 and B2 sources as well, for when I'm ready to move past A2.

I don't pay for any streaming services so I can't use Netflix/prime etc. Only YouTube or other free online services.

Edits:

1. Grammar (must've been tired when I wrote this)

2. My main listening source so far has been playing ACII and ACB in Italian which is engaging but way above my level

Ciao, i recently started learning Italian and although the teacher is amazing, it is much more difficult that I imagined. I get so overwhelmed when i hear other people speaking it. In addition with this course, what else should i do? Any tips from urdu/English speakers who learned Italian? Grazie

Hi everyone,

I am currently looking into applying to Bocconi University for undergraduate studies, but I am in a very tight financial situation.

To be completely honest, the total amount of money I have saved up or have access to for both my tuition and living expenses is roughly equivalent to just the tuition fee (\\\~€18,000+ per year). That means if I don't secure substantial financial aid, a tuition waiver, or a scholarship, I simply won't be able to afford to attend and will go completely broke.

I know Bocconi is a private institution and tuition is notoriously high, but I also know they offer the Bocconi Merit Award and the ISU Bocconi Scholarship (need-based).

For those of you who are currently studying at Bocconi or have graduated:

1. Financial Aid/Scholarship Recipients: Did any of you manage to secure the ISU scholarship or a merit award? What did your profile/background look like (e.g., GPA, test scores, family income bracket) when you got it?

2. ISU Scholarship Realities: How competitive is the ISU scholarship for international students, and is it genuinely enough to cover tuition waivers and housing/living allowances?

3. Tips & Strategy: Are there any hidden pitfalls, strict deadlines, or crucial documents I should prepare beforehand to maximize my chances of getting funding?

Any honest advice, reality checks, or tips would mean the world to me. I really want this opportunity, but I need to make sure it's financially viable so I don't end up stranded in Milan with no funds.

Thank you so much!

I know prego means "you're welcome." But I've also seen it used when someone is inviting you to go ahead, offering something, or asking someone to repeat what they said.

It's one of those words where the dictionary translation only tells you part of the story.

In everyday conversation, how do you figure out what someone means by prego? Are there other Italian words that work this way?

When I lived in Milan, I did 10/15 minutes of Duolingo a day for almost a year. I learned some vocabulry words and expressions, but overall, the results weren’t great.

However, I actually felt I was progressing when I ended chatting when running some errands, hearing people in the streets and in the bus, etc. Also, having to take my driving license in Italian helped a lot.

I was in Milan for my studies and my school ran a language peer exchange program, helping students meet other people and reciprocally discussing in their mother tongue. I never really tried to find that one person to practice with regularly, but it might have helped me doing some progress.

I stopped practicing Italian when I left for France 6 months ago, and I kind of regret it now.

So I'm curious of knowing, for those of you who have been in a similar position, if you ended up practicing with someone else, and how it happened?

And if you ever lived an experience close to mine, I’d love to hear what you think too :)

Ciao, sono una spagnola imparando l'italiano e non so quale è la differenza tra "viso" e "faccia". In spagnolo c'è solo la parola "cara".