This site is dedicated to self-study Italian from scratch. We will try to make it the most interesting and useful for everyone who is interested in this beautiful language and, of course, Italy itself.

Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a few words about the modern status of the language, it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in In several districts in Croatia and Slovenia, where there is a large Italian-speaking population, Italian is also spoken by a part of the inhabitants of the island of Malta.

Italian dialects - can we understand each other?

In Italy itself today you can hear many dialects, sometimes it is enough to drive only a few tens of kilometers to come across another of them.
At the same time, dialects are often so different from each other that they can seem like completely different languages. If people from, for example, the northern and central Italian "hinterland" meet, then they may not even be able to understand each other.
What is especially interesting is that some dialects have, in addition to the oral form, also written, such are the Neopolitan, Venetian, Milanese and Sicilian dialects.
The latter exists, respectively, on the island of Sicily and is so different from other dialects that some researchers distinguish it as a separate Sardinian language.
However, in everyday communication, and especially in large cities, you are unlikely to experience any inconvenience, because today dialects are spoken mainly by elderly people in rural areas, while young people use, which unites all Italians, the correct literary language, the language of radio and, of course, television.
It can be mentioned here that until the end of World War II, modern Italian was only a written language used by the ruling class, academics and in administrative institutions, and it was television that played a large role in spreading the common Italian language among all residents.

How it all began, the origins

The history of the formation of modern Italian, as we all know it, is closely related to the history of Italy and, certainly, no less fascinating.
Origins - in ancient Rome, everything was in the Roman language, universally known as Latin, which at that time was the official state language of the Roman Empire. Later, from Latin, in fact, the Italian language and many other languages of Europe arose.
Therefore, knowing Latin, you will be able to understand what the Spaniard is saying, plus or minus the Portuguese, and you can even make out part of the speech of an Englishman or a Frenchman.
In 476, the last Roman emperor Romulus-Augustulus abdicates the throne, after the capture of Rome by the leader of the Germans Odoakar, this date is considered the end of the Great Roman Empire.
Some people also call it the end of the "Roman language", however, even today, disputes still do not subside, because of what exactly the Latin language has lost its relevance, because of the capture of the Roman Empire by the barbarians, or was it a natural process and in what language itself spoke towards the end of the Roman Empire.
According to one version, in ancient Rome, by this time, along with Latin, the spoken language was already widespread and it is from this folk language of Rome that the Italian that we know as Italian of the 16th century comes from, according to the second version, in connection with the invasion of the barbarians Latin mixed with various barbarian languages and dialects, and it is from this synthesis that the Italian language already originates.

Birthday - first mention

960 is considered the birthday of the Italian language. This date is associated with the first document where this "proto-folk language" is present - vulgare, these are court papers related to the land dispute of the Benedictine Abbey, the witnesses used this particular version of the language so that the testimony was understood by as many people as possible, up to this moment in all official papers we can see only Latin.
And then there was a gradual spread in the ubiquitous life of the language vulgare, which is translated as the national language, which became the prototype of the modern Italian language.
However, the story does not end there, but only becomes more interesting and the next stage is associated with the Renaissance and with such well-known names as Dante Alighier, F. Petrarca, G. Boccaccio and others.
to be continued...

On line translator

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If you need to translate a word or a short phrase from Russian to Italian or vice versa, you can use the little translator on the sidebar of your blog.
If you want to translate a large text or need other languages, use the full version of the online dictionary, where more than 40 languages are on a separate blog page - /p/onlain-perevodchik.html

Self-study guide of the Italian language

I present a new separate section for all Italian language learners - Self-Study of the Italian Language for Beginners.
Making a full-fledged Italian self-study guide out of a blog is, of course, not easy, but I try to give the most convenient and logical sequence of interesting online lessons so that you can learn Italian on your own.
A section will also appear - an audio tutorial, where, as you might guess, there will be lessons with audio applications that can be downloaded or listened to directly on the site.
How to choose a tutorial of Italian language, where to download, or how to study it online, you will find information about this in my posts.
By the way, if someone has ideas or suggestions on how best to organize such a tutorial on our Italian blog, be sure to write to me.

Italian via skype

Secrets of how you can learn Italian on Skype for free, do you always need a native speaker, how to choose a teacher, how much does it cost to learn Italian via Skype, how not to waste your time and money - read about all this in the heading "Italian on Skype.
Come on in, read and make the right choice!

Italian phrasebook

Free, Fun, with a native speaker - a rubric for those who want to learn words and phrases on specific topics.
Join, listen, read, learn - a voiced Italian phrasebook for tourist, shopping, airport, everyday situations and more
In chapter "

Lesson 3. The verb fare (to do)

Before proceeding, you MUST download audio version of the lesson with additional explanations (6 min)

Conjugation of fare

In Italian, as well as in French, there are a number of fixed expressions with the verb fare (to do), so it is better to learn its conjugation once and for all.





		You do

		He / she does
		You do (polite form
		appeal)

		We do

		you do

		They make

Stable expressions

There are also a number of fixed expressions with the verb fare (to do), which we recommend that you learn and, if necessary, use in conversation.

In general, as Zhansurat says, if you learn fixed expressions with the verbs to be, to have and to do, then even only with this knowledge in Italy you can feel great :)

	- to take a bath
	- take a shower
fare (la prima) colazione	- have breakfast
	- make purchases (about products)
	- make purchases (about goods)
	- to knit
	- refuel
	- tell jokes
fare attenzione a	- pay attention to
	- take an excursion

Lesson 3. The verb fare (to do)

Italian for beginners in 7 lessons		http://speakasap.com

	- take the course
	- stand in line
fare le elezioni	- hold elections
fare impressione	- Make an impression
	- scare
	- make noise
	- make peace, make peace
	- make friends
	- show
	- make it hear, make it feel
	- throw
	- boil
	- to bring pleasure
	- make you laugh
fare (professione)	- work as someone

To answer the question What do you do? a man puts the article il in front of a profession, a woman - la.

Che lavoro fai? - Faccio la giornalista. Faccio il medico. Faccio la contabile.

What do you do for a living? - I'm a journalist. I am a doctor. I am an accountant.

Exercise 1. Translate from Italian to Russian

1. La mattina non faccio il bagno perche non ho il tempo.

2. La mattina faccio la doccia e poi faccio la prima colazione.

3. Lei fa la spesa con piacere.

4. Fai scherzi? Lei non ha una macchina. Dove lei fa il pieno?

5. Sono occupata ora. Sono stanca dopo lavoro e faccio il bagno.

6. Ciao, mamma! Siamo a Milano adesso. Facciamo una gita.

7. A cosa fai attenzione quando fai la spesa?

8. Che lavoro fai? - Faccio il contabile. - E tuo marito, che lavoro fa? - Lui fa il giurista.

Check your answers

1. I don’t take a bath in the morning because I don’t have time.

2. I shower every morning and then have breakfast.

3. She enjoys shopping.

4. Are you kidding? She doesn't have a car. Where does she fill up?

These materials may not be altered, transformed or taken as a basis. You can copy, distribute and transfer them to others for non-commercial purposes, subject to the obligatory indication of the author (Elena Shipilova) and the source http://speakasap.com

5. I'm busy now. I'm tired after work and I'm taking a bath.

6. Yes, mom, hello! We are in Milan now. We have a city tour (we make a city tour).

7. What do you pay attention to when you shop?

8. What do you do for a living?- I work as an accountant. - And your husband, what does he work for? - And he is a lawyer.

Exercise 2. Translate from Russian to Italian

1. He has very little time in the morning, so he doesn't shower every morning.

2. We always have breakfast together.

3. I have a new car and now I fill up every night at the gas station.

4. Oh, he jokes so bad ...

5. I always pay attention to discounts in stores.

6. He is a real macho man. He always makes an impression on women.

7. They take a Spanish course (attend a Spanish course).

8. He works as a web designer.

Check your answers

1. La mattina ha pochissimo di tempo per cui lui non fa la doccia ogni mattina.

2. Facciamo la prima colazione semper insieme.

3. Ho una macchina nuova e di sera faccio benzina.

4. Oh, lui fa scherzi malissimo ...

5. Faccio attenzione agli sconti semper.

6. Lui è un macho. Lui semper fa impressione alle donne.

7. Fanno il corso di spagnolo.

8. Lui fa il webdesigner.

Listen to the correct answers

June 17, 2016

What are Italians "doing"? - Almost everything!
With the verb " fare»An infinite number of stable, and not very, expressions, paired with nouns, adverbs, verbs and in various combinations. In many cases, such as with "have breakfast" or "make friends", there are simply no corresponding verbs. Often, similar cases are translated into Russian by other verbs: "to give" pleasure or "to gather" people.

PART 1. Fare+ noun without article:
Fare colazione - have breakfast
... colazione - breakfast
Fare amicizia - to be friends
... amicizia - douzhba
Fare paura - to scare
... paura - fear
Fare schifo - cause disgust, be unpleasant to someone
... schifo is disgusting
Fare scherzi - to joke
... scherzo is a joke
Fare pace - reconcile, reconcile
... pace - peace, tranquility
Fare pietà - evoke pity, compassion
Fare erba - mow / collect herbs
... erba - grass
Fare legna - chop wood
… Legno - wood, wood (material), plural. legna
Fare benzina (fare il pieno - fill a full tank) - refuel with gas
Fare frutti - to bear fruit
... frutto is the fruit
Fare effetto - to be efficient (in action)
… Effetto - effect
Fare attenzione (a) - pay attention (to)
… Attenzione - attention
Fare impressione - to make an impression
... impressione - impression
Fare rumore - to make noise
... rumore - noise
Fare gente - to gather people
... gente - people
Fare soldi - to make money (colloquial as in Russian)
... soldi - money
Fare quattrini - save money, get rich
... quattrino - money
Fare acquisti - to shop (manufactured goods)
… Acquisto - purchase
… Acquisto a credito
… Acquisto a rate / rateizzato
… Acquisto non programmato
Fare caso a qualcosa, a qualcuno - to pay attention to something, to someone
It is more common with the "ci" particle. Examples:
Non farci caso! - Don't pay attention to it! (turn a deaf ear!).
Non ci ho fatto caso. - I did not pay attention (to this).

PART 2. Fare+ noun with article:

Fare una scoperta - make, make a discovery
... scoperta - opening
Fare una bella figura / un figurone - make a good impression, don't hit your face in the dirt, excel
Fare una brutta figura - make a bad impression, disgrace
… Figura - appearance, appearance
... figurone - colloquial from figurona - huge success, sensation
Fare un discorso - make a speech, make a speech
... discorso - speech, performance
Fare una risata - laugh
... risata - laugh, burst of laughter
Fare uno sbaglio - make a mistake
... sbaglio is an error
Fare un salto - drop in, go / stop somewhere for a short time
... salto - jump
Fare una passeggiata - take a walk, walk
... passeggiata - walk
Fare una gita - take a tour
... gita - excursion, walk, sightseeing walk
Fare un giro (a piedi, in bici, in moto, in macchina, in barca) - to go somewhere (on foot, by bicycle, on a motorcycle, in a car, by boat), to take a walk / trip usually without a special purpose or program
... giro - circle, turn
Fare un sogno - to dream
... sogno - dream, dream
Fare un libro - write a book
... libro is a book
Fare ina biblioteca - build a library
... biblioteca - library
Fare un corso di. - take the course.
... corso - course
Fare un numero al telefono - dial a phone number
... numero - number
Fare uno spuntino - quick bite
... spuntino - a snack
Fare una sosta - take a break
... sosta - respite, stop
Fare + the name of the profession, specialty with a definite article - work, work (name of the profession, specialty)
Fare la mano a un lavoro - acquire a skill at work, fill your hand
Fare le coccole - to caress
Fare una / la boccaccia (le boccacce) - grimace, build / make faces
... boccaccia - big and ugly mouth
... coccola - weasel
Fare i compiti - do homework
... compito - task, task, lesson

PART 3. Fare+ verb or other parts of speech:

Fare vedere - to show, to show
Fare sapere - to give, to let know
Fare sentire - to give, to give to hear / to feel
Fare capire - to give, to make it clear
Fare piacere - to deliver, to give pleasure
(Delivering trouble - dare / portare dispiacere)
Fare ridere - make you laugh
Fare ricordare - remind, remind
Fare passare - give pass / pass, pass (someone)
Fare male - to hurt, bad
mi fa male - it hurts me, bad
Fare bene - to do well
mi fa bene - I feel good
Fare fuori (qualcuno) - expose, kick out (someone)
Fare a meno di ... - to do, do without ...
Fare tutto al mondo suo - do everything your own way
Fare un po ’di tutto - do little by little
Fare niente, nulla - nothing to do, nothing to do
For example: non fa niente - no big deal
Non fare finta di niente! - Do not pretend that nothing happened!
Fare un'ora (due, tre ... ore) di straordinario - work one (two, three ... hours) hour overtime
Dar da fare - deliver, deliver troubles
Darsi da fare - bustle, fuss
Fixed expressions about weather and time:
Che tempo fa (oggi)? - What is the weather today?
Fa (molto) caldo. - (Very hot.
past tense: Faceva caldo (ieri). - (Yesterday) it was hot.
future: Farà caldo (domani). - (Tomorrow) it will be hot.
Fa (molto) freddo. - (Very cold.
past tense: Faceva freddo (ieri).
future: Farà freddo (domani).
Fa bel tempo. - Good weather.
Fa cattivo tempo. - Bad weather.
Fa brutto tempo. - Awful weather.
Fa fresco. - Chilly.
Un anno fa - a year ago
Un mese fa - month ago
Un giorno fa - one day ago
Un'ora fa - Hour ago
Un poco fa - recently

Idiomatic expressions:

Il dolce far niente - Sweet "doing nothing", carefree idleness.
Fare la scarpetta - collect food scraps in a plate with a piece of bread
Niente da fare - nothing to be done, nothing to do
Non c'è niente da fare! - Nothing can be done about it!
Dire una cosa e farne * un'altra. - Say one thing and do another.
Fa ’(fa, fai **) pure! - Do whatever you want!
Fa ’(fa, fai **) tu! - Do it, decide for yourself!
________________________
* fare + ne = farne
** several forms of the verb are allowed in the imperative mood (2 l., singular)

➡
What is not done is taken!
And why Italians "take" coffee, sun and bus (train, plane).

➡
Imperative verbs are used to:
⇒ order, give instructions, orders;
⇒ express a request, a wish;

Italian dialects - can we understand each other?

How it all began, the origins

Birthday - first mention

On line translator

Self-study guide of the Italian language

Italian via skype

Italian phrasebook

Today we'll look at the verb fare. The verb fare translates to “to do”. It is a very important verb in Italian. Present tense conjugation:

io faccio - I do
tu fai - you do
lui / lei / Lei fa - he / she / you (polite form) does
noi facciamo - we do
voi fate - you do
loro fanno - they do

The verb fare can be used in the following cases:

1. In the direct meaning of “doing something”.

Che fai? - What are you doing?
Io faccio tutto per lui. - I do everything for him.
Adesso faccio il caffè. - Now I will make coffee.
Non ti preoccupare, faccio tutto io quando torno. “Don’t worry, I’ll do everything when I get back.”

2. In the question "Che lavoro fai?" - Where do you work (literally: What kind of work do you do?).

We answer the question in 2 ways:

faccio + definite noun ( il for masculine and la for female). Or using the verb essere without the article.

Io faccio la segretaria. - I am a secretary (woman).
Io faccio il cameriere. - I'm a waiter.
Io sono autista. - I am a driver.
Io sono cameriera. - I'm a waitress.

Sometimes Italians also ask:

Che fai nella vita? - What do you do in your life?
Che fai di bello (nella vita)? What are you (pretty) doing in life? The question "Che fai di bello?" can also be set with the meaning “What are you pretty doing now?”
Che fai per vivere? - What do you do for a living?

3. In the question "Che tempo fa?" - What is the weather outside?

The question can be answered:

Fa freddo. - Cold.
Fa freddissimo. - Very cold.
Fa caldo. - Hot.
Fa caldissimo. - Very hot.
Fa bel tempo. - (standing) Nice weather.
Fa brutto tempo. - (standing) Bad weather.
Nevica. Sta nevicando. - It's snowing (generally in this place). It is snowing at the moment.
Piove. Sta piovendo. - It's raining (generally in this place). It's raining right now.
Tira vento. - Wind blows.
è nuvoloso. - Cloudy.
C'è la nebbia. - It's foggy outside.
C'è il sole. - The sun shines.
Il tempo è bello. - Good weather.
Il tempo è brutto. - The weather is bad.

Watch the video:

4. In stable terms.

When conjugating, we only change the verb fare.

fare la spesa- go grocery shopping
fare la doccia- take a shower
fare colazione- have breakfast
fare tardi- linger
fare una passeggiata- walk around
fare la fila- stand in line
avere da fare- to have things to do (to have something to do)
fare una domanda- Ask a Question
fare due passi- walk
fare quattro chiacchiere- chat
fare schifo- be disgusting
fare un salto da(to someone) a, in(to some place) - to run

Let's take a look at some examples:

Io faccio la spesa ogni giorno. - I go shopping every day.
Tu fai la doccia tre volte al giorno. - You take a shower 3 times a day
Lui fa una passeggiata dopo il lavoro. - He walks after work.
Noi facciamo la fila. - We are standing in line.
Loro hanno da fare. - They have things to do.
Adesso ti faccio una domanda. - Now I will ask you a question.
Facciamo due passi e quattro chiacchiere. - Let's go for a walk and chat.
Questa cosa fa schifo. - It is disgusting (to the taste or in general).
Stasera faccio un salto da lei. “I'm going to see her tonight.
Faccio un salto a casa e poi vengo. - I'll run home, and then I'll come.
Faccio un salto in farmacia. - I'll run to the pharmacy.

And here are some more expressions with fare. Video in Russian with explanations:

And the Italians also say:

Chi fa da sé fa per tre.- You can't do it yourself, no one will do it better. (Literally: do it yourself, do it for three) It is better to do something important for you yourself than to pass it on to others. It's better that way.
Ci sei o ci fai?- Are you serious (talking) or are you pretending?
fare l'indiano- to pretend that you do not understand what is at stake.
fare il portoghese- do not pay for services, you can translate "ride a hare"
Come si fa?- How it's done?

And here in Taranto we have a saying with fare:

Fai tu e fai piovere!- Decide for yourself what to do (literally: do and do so that it rains).

Now let's fix the fare verb:

A presto, Italyanochka. Italia Fai da Te.

AutorePubblicato il

Italian dialects - can we understand each other?

How it all began, the origins

Birthday - first mention

On line translator

Self-study guide of the Italian language

Italian via skype

Italian phrasebook

Conjugation of fare

Stable expressions

Exercise 1. Translate from Italian to Russian

Exercise 2. Translate from Russian to Italian

Italian dialects - can we understand each other?

How it all began, the origins

Birthday - first mention

On line translator

Self-study guide of the Italian language

Italian via skype

Italian phrasebook

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