Mastering A1 Level Italian: A Complete Guide to Basic Grammar & Vocabulary

Learning Italian is an exciting journey, especially when you have a clear roadmap. If you’re aiming to reach A1 level, this guide will provide you with essential grammar concepts and vocabulary, helping you build a strong foundation.

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📖 Basic Grammar Concepts for A1 Level

1. Nouns & Gender (Masculine/Feminine)

Italian nouns have genders—either masculine or feminine. This affects articles and adjectives that accompany them.

• Masculine nouns: il libro (the book), il ragazzo (the boy), il cane (the dog)
• Feminine nouns: la casa (the house), la ragazza (the girl), la sedia (the chair)

💡 Tip: Generally, nouns ending in -o are masculine, and those ending in -a are feminine.

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2. Articles: Definite & Indefinite

Definite Articles (“the”)

• il (masculine singular) – il tavolo (the table)
• lo (masculine singular, before s+consonant, z) – lo zaino (the backpack)
• l’ (before vowels) – l’amico (the friend)
• la (feminine singular) – la porta (the door)
• i (masculine plural) – i ragazzi (the boys)
• gli (masculine plural, before s+consonant, z, vowels) – gli studenti (the students)
• le (feminine plural) – le ragazze (the girls)

Indefinite Articles (“a/an”)

• un (masculine) – un libro (a book)
• uno (masculine, before s+consonant, z) – uno studente (a student)
• una (feminine) – una sedia (a chair)
• un’ (feminine, before vowels) – un’amica (a friend)

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3. Subject Pronouns

Italian subject pronouns replace the subject in a sentence.

• Io (I)
• Tu (You – informal)
• Lui / Lei (He / She)
• Noi (We)
• Voi (You all – informal)
• Loro (They)

Example:

• Io parlo italiano. (I speak Italian.)
• Lei ha un gatto. (She has a cat.)

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4. Common Verbs & Their Conjugations

Mastering these essential verbs is key to forming basic sentences.

A. Essential Irregular Verbs

1. Essere (To be)
   • Io sono
   • Tu sei
   • Lui/Lei è
   • Noi siamo
   • Voi siete
   • Loro sono
2. Avere (To have)
   • Io ho
   • Tu hai
   • Lui/Lei ha
   • Noi abbiamo
   • Voi avete
   • Loro hanno
3. Andare (To go)
   • Io vado
   • Tu vai
   • Lui/Lei va
   • Noi andiamo
   • Voi andate
   • Loro vanno

B. Regular Verb Conjugation Patterns

1. -ARE verbs (e.g., parlare – to speak)
   • Io parlo
   • Tu parli
   • Lui/Lei parla
   • Noi parliamo
   • Voi parlate
   • Loro parlano
2. -ERE verbs (e.g., leggere – to read)
   • Io leggo
   • Tu leggi
   • Lui/Lei legge
   • Noi leggiamo
   • Voi leggete
   • Loro leggono
3. -IRE verbs (e.g., dormire – to sleep)
   • Io dormo
   • Tu dormi
   • Lui/Lei dorme
   • Noi dormiamo
   • Voi dormite
   • Loro dormono

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5. Negation (Non)

To make a sentence negative, place “non” before the verb.

• Io non parlo inglese. (I do not speak English.)
• Lei non ha un cane. (She does not have a dog.)

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6. Question Formation

1. Raising intonation
   • Parli italiano? (Do you speak Italian?)
   • Dove abiti? (Where do you live?)
2. Using question words
   • Chi? (Who?)
   • Cosa? (What?)
   • Dove? (Where?)
   • Quando? (When?)
   • Perché? (Why?)

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7. Prepositions

• in (in)
• su (on)
• sotto (under)
• davanti a (in front of)
• dietro (behind)
• tra/fra (between)
• a (at/to)
• con (with)

Example:

• Il libro è su il tavolo. (The book is on the table.)

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8. Possessive & Demonstrative Adjectives

Possessive Adjectives

• Mio / Mia / Miei / Mie (My)
• Tuo / Tua / Tuoi / Tue (Your)
• Suo / Sua / Suoi / Sue (His/Her)

Example:

• Questa è mia sorella. (This is my sister.)

Demonstrative Adjectives

• Questo (this, masculine)
• Questa (this, feminine)
• Questi (these, masculine)
• Queste (these, feminine)

Example:

• Questa casa è bella. (This house is beautiful.)

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📚 Essential Vocabulary

✔️ Greetings & Basic Phrases

• Ciao (Hello)
• Grazie (Thank you)
• Per favore (Please)
• Mi scusi (Excuse me)

✔️ Numbers, Colors, Days, Months

• Uno, due, tre… (One, two, three…)
• Rosso (Red), Blu (Blue)
• Lunedì (Monday), Febbraio (February)

✔️ Family Members

• Padre (Father), Madre (Mother), Fratello (Brother), Sorella (Sister)

✔️ Common Verbs & Adjectives

• Grande (Big), Piccolo (Small), Felice (Happy)

✔️ Food, Places, and Objects

• Mela (Apple), Scuola (School), Sedia (Chair)

✔️ Travel & Directions Vocabulary

• Aeroporto (Airport), Strada (Street), Sinistra (Left), Destra (Right)

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Final Thoughts

This guide provides a strong foundation in A1-level Italian grammar and vocabulary. Regular practice, listening to Italian conversations, and speaking aloud will accelerate your progress. Buona fortuna!