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Basic Italian Course for the Virtual Student

Lesson 3

SHORT ACHIEVABLE GOALS

The Verb can
Must (the verb to have to)
Examples
Qualche
The Verb qualcosa
Other Important Words
The Verb "Should"
The Verb to be able to (may)
The Verb to want
The Verb would like
  1. The Articles
  2. List of Adjectives
  3. The Verb venire
  4. The Verb fare
  5. The Verb andare
  6. Prepositions
  7. Possessive Pronouns

Note: This was written by an Italian, and quickly edited by an American English speaker. There is still some strange English in places. Much of it is noted. If you find anything else strange, please tell me, so that we can make this better for everyone!
Thanks!

the verb "can" - il verbo "potere"

io posso
I can
tu puoi
you can
lui / lei puo'
he / she can
noi possiamo
we can
vol potete
you can
loro possono
they can

the verb "must" - il verbo "dovere"

io devo
I must / have to
tu devi
you must / have to
lui / lei deve
he / she must / has to
noi dobbiamo
we must / have to
vol dovete
you must / have to
loro devono
they must / have to

Now you have to learn how to use a verb that follows another verb. In fact, if you say "I can do" or "she can come" or "it can work", you are using two verbs one after another.

There is nothing new about the use of the first verb. The second verb has to be used in the infinitive, called in Italian "infinito". Here are the infinite forms of the verbs we just studied:

essere
to be
avere
to have
andare
to go
venire
to come
fare
to do / to make
dovere
to have to
potere
to be able to

And these are the infinite forms of some verbs (40) you need most often in normal conversations:

mangiare
to eat
dire
to say, tell
bere
to drink
cucinare
to cook
dormire
to sleep
chiedere
to ask
guardare
to look
rispondere
to answer
vedere
to see
ridere
to laugh
sentire
to feel, to hear
piangere
to cry
ascol tare
to hear, to listen to
camminare
to walk
comprare
to buy
vendere
to sell
lavare
to wash
capire
to understand
leggere
to read
chiamare
to call
scrivere
to write
correre
to run
dare
to give
prendere
to take
parlare
to talk
portare
to take, to bring
amare
to love
odiare
to hate
partire
to leave, to start (from)
lasciare
to leave, to drop (somebody or something)
cominciare
to begin, to start
finire
to end, to finish
volere
to want
desiderare
to wish
cercare
to look for, to search
trovare
to find
provare
to try
pulire
to clean
sapere
to know
aspettare
to wait

Examples

Dobbiamo provare.
We must try.
Deve andare a casa.
He/She/It has to go home.
Dovete parlare.
You have to talk.
Devi dire tutto.
You must say all.
Devono cercare una casa.
They must look for a house.
Devo correre.
I have to run.
Deve essere cosi'.
It/He/She must be so.
Devo comprare una macchina.
I must buy a car.
Dobbiamo cominciare.
We must start/begin.
Devono chiamare.
They must call.
Devi capire.
You have to understand.
Dovete leggere.
You have to read.

Now some examples with the verb "potere".

You have to use this verb to politely ask for something (and remember "per favore").
Posso prendere?
Can I take (this)?
Si' puoi.
Yes, you can.
Puoi chiamare?
Can you call?
Si' posso.
Yes, I can.
Non puo' correre.
He/She/It cannot run.
Potete sentire?
Can you hear?
Non puo' bere vino.
He/She cannot drink wine.
Non possiamo fare nulla.
We cannot do anything. (literally: We cannot do nothing)
Posso andare?
Can I go?
Che cosa posso dire?
What can I tell (you)?
Dove possiamo andare?
Where can we go?
Posso dire una cosa?
Can I say something?
Posso fare una cosa?
Can I do something?
Come possiamo fare?
How can we do (it/this/that)?
Quale auto posso comprare?
Which car can I buy?
Quale possiamo prendere?
Which one can we take?

You were introduced to a new word here: "tutto" means all (everything/everyone).

When you mean "all" just in general (in expressions like "it's all over" or "all is lost"), you have to use the simple word "tutto". But when you mean something in particular and "all" is followed by a name (in expressions. Like "all the animals" or "all the people" or "all my money"), you have to use "tutto" like an adjective. (that is to say, it can become "tutti" or "tutta" or "tutte").

Devo chiamare tutti i parenti
I must call all the relatives.
Non puoi bere tutto il vino
You cannot drink all the wine.
Non devi dormire tutto il giorno
You don't have to sleep all day.
Non puoi dormire tutto il giorno
You cannot sleep all day.

Qualche

"qualche" means "some" and is always followed by a name.

qualche cosa
something
qualche casa
some houses
qualche auto
some cars
qualche stupido
some stupid

You cannot use this word to mean a small quantity of something that cannot be counted. You cannot say "some wine" or "some water".

To say "some water" or "some wine" (singular), you have to say "un po' di".

un po' d'acqua
some water
un po' di vino
some wine

Qualcosa

"Qualcosa" means "something". It is exactly like "qualche cosa". "Qualcosa" and "qualche cosa" can be used in questions too. Both mean "something" and "anything".

Hai bisogno di qualcosa?
Do you need something/anything?
Hai bisogno di niente?
Do you need nothing? (It has the same meaning.)
Dobbiamo fare qualcosa.
We must do something.
Devi dire qualcosa.
You must say something.

In the negative sentences you have to use "niente" or "nulla" instead of "qualcosa" or "qualche cosa".

Non posso fare nulla.
I can't do anything. (literally: nothing)

In the negative sentences where "qualche" is followed) by a name you have to use "nessun" or "nessuna" instead of "qualche".

"nessun" and "nessuna" mean "no".

Non ho nessuna casa.
I have no house.
Non posso dare nessun consiglio.
I can't give any suggestion.

Remember, it is preferable not to use "nessun" and "nessuna" before names like "water", "wine", "wind", "sea" (When you mean an indefinite quantity of something.) You can just say "There isn't wind." or "There isn't a sea in Hungary.". You cannot say "Non c'e' nessun mare." (There is no sea.) Say just: "Non c'e' mare."

"Nessuno" means "nobody", "qualcuno" means "somebody". They behave exactly like "niente"/"nulla" and "qualcosa"/"qualche cosa".

Other important words

questo
this (masculine)
questa
this (feminine)
questi
these (masculine)
queste
these (feminine)
quello
that (masculine)
quella
that (feminine)
quelli
those (masculine)
quelle
those (feminine)

"quello" means "that" only when "that" is in expressions like "that car", "that house", "don't say that". Not in expressions like "I said that ___." or "The person that___."

"quello" becomes often "quel". You have to say "quello" just before words starting with "z" and with "s" followed by another consonant.

E' necessario comprare qualcosa da mangiare
It is necessary to buy something to eat
Puoi chiedere quell'informazione?
Can you ask for that information?
Non e' necessario comprare qualcosa.
It is not necessary to buy anything.
Non e' necessario fare qualcosa.
It is not necessary to do anything.
Devono fare quella cosa.
They must do that (thing).
Posso vedere quel libro?
May I see that book?
Posso guardare?
Could I look?
Devi portare questo a casa.
You must take this home.
Bisogna fare qualcosa.
Something must be done. (lit.: It is necessary to do something)
e' necessario
it is necessary
bisogna
it is necessary
non bisogna
it is not allowed/correct/fair/advisable
something to do
qualcosa da fare
something to eat
qualcosa da mangiare
some houses to sell
qualche casa da vendere does casa become case???
some tv to watch
un po' di televisione da guardare
some water to drink
un 'po' d'acqua da bere
a book to read
qualche libro da leggere
nothing to lose
nulla da perdere
nowhere to run
nessun posto dove correre
no time to waste
non c'e' tempo da perdere
nobody to call
nessuno da chiamare
no shirt to wash
nessuna camicia da lavare

The verb "should" - il verbo dovere (to have to)

There is not a specific Italian verb to say "should". In Italian a particular form of the verb "dovere" (to have to) is used. In this form it means "should".

io dovrei
I should
tu dovresti
you should
lui / lei dovrebbe
he / she should
noi dovremmo
we should
vol dovreste
you should
loro dovrebbero
they should
Dovresti fare qualcosa.
You should do something.
Dovrei andare a casa.
I should go home.
Dovrebbe stare attento.
He/She should pay attention.
Dovreste fare attenzione.
You should pay attention.
Non dovresti bere molto.
You shouldn't drink much.

The verb "may"

If you want to use a less strong form of the verb "can" (like the English "may" in expressions like "May I help you?" or "We may go to the theater." or "May I ask something?"), you just have to use a different form of the verb "can". This different form of the verbs "can" and "must" is the conditional: "condizionale"

Potrei avere questo?
May I have this?
Potreste dire qualcosa?
May you say something?
Potrebbe arrivare ora.
He/She/It could arrive now
Potrebbe fare male.
It could hurt.
Potrebbero a vere qualcosa da dire.
They could have something to say. (complain)

The verb "want" il verbo "volere"

nuovo
new
vecchio
old

"would like"

This verb also means "wish", when you want to say that you would like something to happen. You can use it when you want to ask for something politely.

?????????????vorresti or vorriesti????????????

Vocabulary

Il corpo umano
the human body
la testa
the head
l'occhio
the eye
l'orecchio
the ear
la bocca
the mouth
il naso
the nose
il collo
the neck
il dente
the tooth
il petto
the chest
il piede
the foot
la gamba
the leg
il braccio
the arm
la mano
the hand

Some Italian words ending with "ezza" just correspond to some English words of abstract things:

bellezza
beauty
giovinezza
youth

Other abstract names end with "ta":

stupidita'
stupidity
liberta'
liberty, freedom
necessita'
necessity
possibillta'
possibility
bonta'
goodness

Other abstract names end with "zione" (most of them correspond with the English names ending with "tion"):

relazione
relation
nazione
nation
collezione
collection
infezione
infection
direzione
direction
funzione
function
finzione
fiction
informazione
information
elezione
elation
reazione
reaction
azione
action

 

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