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Course path · A1

Italian A1: Foundations

Speak Italian from day one: greetings and numbers, articles and the present tense, ordering at the bar and finding your way around — plus the difference between scusi, permesso and mi dispiace, and why prego answers almost everything.

Target language
Italian
Explained in
English
CEFR level
A1
Structure
21 modules · 85 lessons

Course journey

Every module has a place in the story.

Follow the authored sequence from the opening lesson through the final chapter. Preview lessons remain open before enrollment.

  1. Module 01

    First Sounds

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Seven VowelsLocked
      About 14 minSay Italian vowels clean and open, and never weaken the one at the end of a word.
      Locked
    2. The Letters That Surprise YouLocked
      About 15 minRead any Italian word aloud on sight, including the c and g rules that decide the sound.
      Locked
    3. Double ConsonantsLocked
      About 15 minHold a double consonant long enough, because it is the difference between two real words.
      Locked
    4. Where the Stress FallsLocked
      About 14 minPut the stress on the right syllable, and know what the written accent is for.
      Locked

  2. Module 02

    Building Blocks

    2 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Making Things PluralLocked
      About 15 minForm Italian plurals by changing the final vowel, and keep the c and g sounds you learned in First Sounds.
      Locked
    2. The Subject PronounsLocked
      About 15 minKnow the set, know why Italian leaves them out, and know the one you must never leave out.
      Locked

  3. Module 03

    Getting Started

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Greetings & IntroductionsFree preview
      About 12 minGreet someone, introduce yourself, and judge when tu becomes Lei.
      Launch →
    2. Numbers 0-20Free preview
      About 12 minSay your age, ask a price, and understand the numbers said back.
      Launch →
    3. Days & Telling TimeLocked
      About 12 minArrange a day and time, and confirm it.
      Locked

  4. Module 04

    The Core Machinery

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Gender & ArticlesLocked
      About 16 minChoose between il, lo, la and their plurals by listening to the sound that follows.
      Locked
    2. Essere & AvereLocked
      About 16 minUse essere and avere correctly, including the states Italian expresses with avere.
      Locked
    3. The Present TenseLocked
      About 18 minConjugate regular -are, -ere and -ire verbs, including the -isc- group.
      Locked
    4. Piacere & PreferencesLocked
      About 15 minSay what you like with piacere's inverted structure instead of translating from English.
      Locked

  5. Module 05

    Everyday Basics

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The BarLocked
      About 12 minOrder at the bar and pay, the way Italians actually do it.
      Locked
    2. Family & PeopleLocked
      About 12 minDescribe your family and explain who people are to you.
      Locked
    3. Food & ShoppingLocked
      About 12 minShop for food, ask for quantities, and understand the price.
      Locked

  6. Module 06

    Describing & Everyday Life

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Describing People & ThingsLocked
      About 15 minMake adjectives agree in gender and number, and know which ones never change.
      Locked
    2. The Weather & SeasonsLocked
      About 14 minTalk about the weather with fare, and name the seasons and months.
      Locked
    3. House & HomeLocked
      About 15 minDescribe where you live, and use c'è and ci sono — which, unlike Spanish hay, change for number.
      Locked
    4. Clothes & ShoppingLocked
      About 15 minBuy clothes, give your size, and point at things with questo and quello.
      Locked
    5. Giulia, 1: A New CityLocked
      About 12 minRead a short first-person account and answer about what it says.
      Locked

  7. Module 07

    Getting Things Done

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Body & HealthLocked
      About 15 minSay what hurts with fare male, which inverts exactly like piacere.
      Locked
    2. Transport & TicketsLocked
      About 15 minBuy a ticket, ask when something leaves, and say how you travel.
      Locked
    3. Hobbies & Free TimeLocked
      About 14 minTalk about your free time, choosing between giocare and suonare.
      Locked
    4. Work & StudiesLocked
      About 16 minSay what you do, and use potere and dovere to talk about what you can and must do.
      Locked

  8. Module 08

    Plans & Past

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Making PlansLocked
      About 14 minTalk about the future the way Italian usually does — with the present tense.
      Locked
    2. Talking About the PastLocked
      About 19 minUse the passato prossimo, choosing between avere and essere.
      Locked
    3. Invitations & ArrangementsLocked
      About 14 minInvite someone, accept or decline politely, and settle the details.
      Locked
    4. Possessives & DemonstrativesLocked
      About 16 minSay whose something is — where Italian, uniquely, keeps the article in front.
      Locked

  9. Module 09

    Precision & Detail

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Object PronounsLocked
      About 18 minReplace a noun with lo, la, gli and put the pronoun before the verb.
      Locked
    2. Comparatives & SuperlativesLocked
      About 16 minCompare with più di and più che, and pick out the best with il più.
      Locked
    3. Quantity & DegreeLocked
      About 15 minUse molto correctly — where the same word changes shape depending on its job.
      Locked
    4. Sapere & ConoscereLocked
      About 15 minChoose between sapere and conoscere — two verbs where English has only know.
      Locked
    5. Giulia, 2: The NeighboursLocked
      About 12 minFollow a narrative across several people and answer from the text.
      Locked

  10. Module 10

    Numbers, Dates & Instructions

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Numbers, Money & PricesLocked
      About 15 minCount past twenty, watch the vowels collide, and handle a price.
      Locked
    2. Ordinals, Dates & BirthdaysLocked
      About 14 minGive a date, say which floor you want, and wish someone a happy birthday.
      Locked
    3. Giving InstructionsLocked
      About 16 minTell someone what to do — the imperative, in both tu and Lei.
      Locked
    4. Reflexive VerbsLocked
      About 15 minDescribe your daily routine with reflexive verbs, and get their past tense right.
      Locked

  11. Module 11

    Out and About

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Places in TownLocked
      About 12 minSay where a place is and describe your neighbourhood.
      Locked
    2. Asking for DirectionsLocked
      About 12 minAsk the way and follow the answer.
      Locked
    3. Daily RoutineLocked
      About 12 minDescribe your day with reflexive verbs and times.
      Locked

  12. Module 12

    Verbs That Change

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The -isc- VerbsLocked
      About 16 minUse the -ire verbs that insert -isc-, and the few that do not.
      Locked
    2. The Odd First PersonLocked
      About 15 minUse the verbs whose io form is irregular but whose other forms are not.
      Locked
    3. Happening Right NowLocked
      About 15 minUse stare + gerundio, and know when Italian would rather not.
      Locked
    4. Have To, Going ToLocked
      About 15 minChain a conjugated verb onto an infinitive to talk about obligation and plans.
      Locked
    5. Giulia, 3: The First Week at WorkLocked
      About 13 minRead a routine in the present tense and answer about sequence and time.
      Locked

  13. Module 13

    Who You Are and Where You're From

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Spelling It OutLocked
      About 14 minSay the alphabet, spell your name, and ask someone to spell theirs.
      Locked
    2. Where You're FromLocked
      About 15 minSay where you are from, what nationality you are, and what languages you speak.
      Locked
    3. Filling In the FormLocked
      About 14 minGive the details a form or a receptionist asks for.
      Locked
    4. Asking, Not Only AnsweringLocked
      About 16 minBuild a question with any question word, and keep the word order Italian keeps.
      Locked

  14. Module 14

    Saying No Properly

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Saying NoLocked
      About 14 minNegate any sentence, and put the non in the one place it goes.
      Locked
    2. Nothing, Nobody, NeverLocked
      About 15 minUse the negative words, and know which forms exist.
      Locked
    3. Two Negatives, One MeaningLocked
      About 15 minUse the double negative Italian requires, and know when it disappears.
      Locked
    4. Disagreeing and DecliningLocked
      About 14 minTurn something down politely, and answer a negative question.
      Locked

  15. Module 15

    Somewhere to Stay

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Checking InLocked
      About 15 minBook a room, check in, and understand what you are being asked.
      Locked
    2. Asking for ThingsLocked
      About 14 minAsk for what the room is missing, and report what is not working.
      Locked
    3. Where Things AreLocked
      About 15 minPlace an object in space with the small set of prepositions that does it.
      Locked
    4. Colours and MaterialsLocked
      About 14 minDescribe an object precisely enough to identify it.
      Locked
    5. Giulia, 4: The WaterLocked
      About 13 minFollow a problem and its fixes, and answer about cause and order.
      Locked

  16. Module 16

    Getting By

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Please and Thank YouLocked
      About 12 minAsk for something politely and answer when somebody thanks you.
      Locked
    2. Excuse Me and SorryLocked
      About 12 minGet someone's attention, apologise, and get past somebody in a doorway.
      Locked
    3. I Don't UnderstandLocked
      About 12 minSay you have not understood, and ask for the sentence again in a form you can use.
      Locked
    4. Asking for HelpLocked
      About 12 minAsk for help, ask whether something exists nearby, and say you are lost.
      Locked

  17. Module 17

    How You Feel

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Hungry, Cold and in a HurryLocked
      About 12 minSay you are hungry, cold, thirsty or in a rush, using the verb Italian actually uses.
      Locked
    2. How Are YouLocked
      About 12 minAnswer the greeting question with something other than the word fine.
      Locked
    3. Happy, Tired and WorriedLocked
      About 12 minDescribe a mood with the right verb, and make the adjective agree.
      Locked
    4. Saying WhyLocked
      About 12 minGive a reason, and soften a refusal so it does not sound blunt.
      Locked

  18. Module 18

    Signs, Menus and Messages

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Signs and NoticesLocked
      About 12 minRead the words on doors, streets and shop windows without stopping to translate.
      Locked
    2. Reading a MenuLocked
      About 12 minWork out how a menu is organised, so you order a meal rather than three starters.
      Locked
    3. Numbers You Read, Not HearLocked
      About 12 minRead a price, a date and a timetable without getting the figure wrong by a factor of a thousand.
      Locked
    4. Writing a Short MessageLocked
      About 12 minWrite a text or a note that reads like a person wrote it.
      Locked
    5. Giulia, 5: The MarketLocked
      About 13 minRead a scene with dialogue in it and answer about what was meant.
      Locked

  19. Module 19

    Reading Real Things

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Reading a NoticeLocked
      About 14 minGet the facts out of a sign on a door without translating every word.
      Locked
    2. Reading a MessageLocked
      About 14 minRead a short note or card from a friend and work out what you are being asked.
      Locked
    3. Reading a Small AdLocked
      About 14 minRead an advert or a price list and get the price, the size and the catch.
      Locked
    4. Reading a Ticket and a FormLocked
      About 14 minFind the platform, the time and the seat, and learn the one word that avoids a fine.
      Locked

  20. Module 20

    When Someone Speaks to You

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Catching a NameLocked
      About 15 minGet a name right when somebody spells it out for you.
      Locked
    2. Catching a PriceLocked
      About 15 minHear what you owe, and what you are getting back.
      Locked
    3. Catching a Day and a TimeLocked
      About 15 minCome away from an arrangement knowing which day and what time.
      Locked
    4. Understanding What You're Asked to DoLocked
      About 15 minDo the right thing when somebody tells you to, without needing the whole sentence.
      Locked

  21. Module 21

    Dirlo Senza Guardare

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Article That ChangesLocked
      About 15 minChoose between il, lo and l' from the sound that follows, and form the plural that goes with each.
      Locked
    2. When the Words Stick TogetherLocked
      About 15 minHear the doubled consonant Italian produces at a word join, and the vowels that run into one another.
      Locked
    3. Whose Is ItLocked
      About 15 minUse an Italian possessive with the article in front of it, and ask whose something is.
      Locked
    4. Saying It ColdLocked
      About 16 minProduce whole sentences with the support removed one step at a time, ending with nothing on screen at all.
      Locked
    5. Giulia, 6: A YearLocked
      About 13 minRead the close of the story and answer about how things changed from the first installment.
      Locked