Daniela delves into the absolute superlative for adjectives, and covers the wonderfully fun ending, -issimo.

Daniela illustrates other ways of forming the absolute superlative for adjectives in Italian. These include repeating an adjective twice, the placement of a prefix before an adjective, and a list of words, such as "exceedingly," used in conjunction with an adjective.

Daniela discusses how journalists and the mass media often tack on -issimo to nouns and adverbial expressions, something which is not strictly correct but is prevalent nonetheless.

With the relative superlative, we compare one element with an entire group, as for example, "She is the most beautiful of all." In English we distinguish between "more" and "most," but in Italian, the presence of the article before the noun or before the comparative word is what makes the difference.

Relative pronouns — such as "who," "that," and "which" — connect a main clause to a subordinate clause, which in this case, is a relative clause. Here, relative pronouns function as pronouns and conjunctions at the same time. In Italian, some relative pronouns vary according to gender and number, and others don't. Daniela guides us through.

Daniela shows us how to use the relative pronoun che. In English this can be translated as either "that," "which," or "who," depending on various English grammatical factors.

Daniela introduces the relative pronoun "which." It's handy to know because it doesn't change according to gender or number.

Daniela introduces relative pronouns il quale, la quale, i quali and le quali (that, who, which) that are a bit tricky to use because they have to agree with the gender and number of the nouns they refer to. We need them when, otherwise, the sentence would be ambiguous.

These relative pronouns can be very tricky for English speakers. Daniela gives us some good reasons (with examples) to prefer the more difficult, but more specific il quale, la quale, i quali and le quali, which can all mean "that, "which," "who," or "whom," depending on the context.

To finish up about relative pronouns, Daniela illustrates how we can use the adverb dove (where) to replace the relative pronoun in cui or nel quale, both of which mean "in which."

Daniela explains how to turn a positive statement into a negative one, and how to form a negative question and its negative answer. The magic word is non (not).

In the last lesson we learned to place non (not) before the verb in a negative sentence, but when there are other words involved, it gets a bit more complicated, especially when we have object pronouns in the mix.

To express negation, the adverb non (not) can precede not only nouns, but verbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and adverbs, as well. Daniela shows us how.

Double negatives are, in fact, allowed in Italian. And Daniela shows us how there can be multiple negations in one phrase. In English, where double negatives are not allowed, we have extra words to get around this rule. We use, for example, "it's not anything" or" not ever," instead of the incorrect "not nothing" or "not never." But it's important to be able to manage all these negatives in perfect tenses where we have a conjugated auxiliary verb and a past participle, and that is what Daniela explains in this lesson.

Daniela concludes this lesson about double negatives explaining that in some cases, when using double negatives with compound verbs — in other words, auxiliary verbs with past participles — there are some exceptions to be aware of.

Daniela lays out the basics of direct and indirect object pronouns combined together. The indirect object undergoes a transformation when together with a direct pronoun.

Daniela shares a table of compound pronouns and their position in a sentence when they have to do with verbs in the indicative, subjunctive and conditional.

Daniela shows us more examples of combining direct and indirect object pronouns, and goes on to give us some examples in the subjunctive and conditional moods, which work the same way.

There are two ways to position the combined pronoun in relation to the verb in some cases, and Daniela shows us how it's done. She gives examples of this with the infinitive, the imperative and the gerund.

Daniela sums up about compound pronouns and explains what a partitive pronoun is. An example of a partitive pronoun is the particle ne (of it, of them).

Daniela focuses on the partitive ne when joined to combined pronouns in the third person singular, masculine or feminine. In this case, the indirect pronoun aspect stays the same in both the masculine and feminine, singular and plural.

In this last segment, Daniela focuses on when the past participle of a verb in the present perfect has to agree (in number and gender) with the direct object pronoun when using compound pronouns. It's a bit tricky.

Daniela explains how to use the demonstrative adjectives questo and quello [this and that]. She also tells us about a third demonstrative adjective that, these days, is used only in Tuscany: codesto.

Demonstrative adjectives can also be used as demonstrative pronouns. Daniela explains how that works, and also discusses how to use an apostrophe when the noun following the demonstrative adjective starts with a vowel.

To finish up about demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, Daniela gives us some more examples and a summary.

Daniela introduces the topic of indefinite adjectives and starts with quantitative adjectives (think: some, several, etc.). In Italian, not only do we need to think about singular and plural, but also masculine and feminine, just as with other adjectives, so put on your seat belts!

Daniela talks about some very common indefinite adjectives, the equivalents of "much," "many," "little," and "few." An important detail to keep in mind is that some of the words she talks about can be either adjectives or adverbs depending on the context. Adjectives (the subject of this video) have variable endings but adverbs don't.

Daniela shows us some additional indefinite adjectives that have to do with quantity. When used as adjectives, they need to agree, in gender and number, with the nouns they describe. Some of these words can also be used as adverbs, and in this case, they don't change.

Listen carefully to this lesson because the rules for these indefinite adjectives are a little quirky. These are about totality — all or nothing — and work differently from English, especially when they're in the negative. We're talking about tutto, nessuno, and alcuno.

In this lesson, Daniela discusses indefinite adjectives that refer to units or multiples. We're talking about adjectives such as "each," every," and "certain." Some have variable endings and others do not.

Here are three more indefinite adjectives. The third one altro (another, next, last, different) is very common and can mean several things, so context is key.

Here is the last group of indefinite adjectives: qualunque, qualsiasi, and qualsivoglia (whichever, any). Luckily for us, they are generally interchangeable and invariable.

It's time to talk about particelle (particles). These short, two or three-letter words, such as ci and ne have many functions as well as meanings, and can even represent an indirect object pronoun plus its preposition. Particles can be freestanding or attached to a verb, depending on how the verb is conjugated (or not). Let's see how they work.

Ci is such a tiny word, but it has a lot of power. It can replace a direct object pronoun or an indirect pronoun + preposition, and means other things as well. You won't want to miss this lesson.

We learn even more about the particle ci. This short word can stand for a preposition (such as "on," "about," "with," or "to") + an indirect object.

Daniela talks about an unusual but common way we use the particle ci. In this segment she discusses volerci (to need, to take) and metterci (to employ, to put in). In English we use "it takes" and "it takes me/you/us/him/her/them" with an impersonal "it," so translating might very well create more problems than it solves. To help you understand how these particular verbs work, we have attempted, where possible, to use alternate translations to illustrate the grammatical structure of the sentences Daniela uses as examples.

Daniela gives us some more examples of how the particle ci is used. Lots of times it's superfluous and could technically be omitted but hardly ever is.

Daniela gives us plenty of examples of how to use ne and ci, those tricky little particles that mean so many different things and which can be quite a challenge for English speakers.

Daniela tackles a verb that is tricky for English speakers: piacere (to delight, to please). Although when someone says mi piace, he or she is, in essence, saying "I like [it/him/her/them]," the verb piacere doesn't strictly mean "to like." Since, as you will see, this verb works so differently than "to like," we have used the verb "to delight" as a translation in some cases, not for its exact meaning, but in order to match the construction with that of piacere.

Sometimes the subject of a sentence can be a verb in the infinitive or an entire clause. Let's see how the verb piacere works in these cases, in both simple and perfect tenses.

There are two ways to use an indirect object pronoun with the verb piacere (to please, to be pleasing, to like). Daniela shows us how they work.

The concept of liking and loving is nuanced in a particular way in Italian. Really grasping it takes time, practice, and experience, but this lesson should help to avoid embarrassing mistakes and misunderstandings when talking about relationships in Italian.

Daniela explains what are called "indefinite modes." They are indefinite because they don't refer directly to a person or object. They commonly occur in a subordinate clause, and we need the context of the main clause to give us that information. There are three forms: the infinitive, the past participle, and the gerund.

In Italian, there's not only a past participle, as in English, there is also a present participle. Many nouns and adjectives we use every day come from this tense, as well as from the past participle.

In this segment, Daniela talks about the gerund. As you will see, in Italian, the gerund is often used by itself, whereas in English we need an extra word before it — a conjunction or preposition. We are on more familiar ground when Daniela talks about using a gerund with the verb stare (to be) to form what we call the present continuous or present progressive.

Daniela gives us some more examples of gerunds used in subordinate clauses. Asking ourselves what questions the gerund answers can help us understand its role in a sentence.

A student asked Daniela to explain the difference between finché and the adverb fino. In fact, these words are tricky for English speakers to grasp. We're talking about "until" and "as long as," and in questions, "how far" and "how long."

In English, the difference between "until" and "as long as" is quite distinct, but in Italian, it's a little blurry because the presence of the negative word non (not) might change the meaning of a phrase or it might not. When the meaning is not altered by its presence, the word, in this case non (not), is "pleonastic." We're talking about finché and finche non.

Daniela looks at the various contexts for using the adverb ora (now) and its synonyms and variants.

Ora, the word for "now" can be combined with a number of other words to means something that has to do with time, but that indicates more precisely when a period begins or ends.

What's the difference between infatti and in effetti? It's easy to confuse them, and as a matter of fact, we often translate both with "in fact" or "actually." Daniela explains the difference and gives us a long list of synonyms you may also hear Italians use.

When do we use infatti and when do we use in effetti? It mostly comes down to the quantity of doubt involved.

Daniela gives us some examples to compare infatti (in fact) and in effetti (in effect, actually). She also assures us that infatti is never really wrong.

Daniela uses the lesson's final segment to highlight the differences between infatti [in fact, indeed] and in effetti [in fact, in effect, effectively]. She also draws distinctions between the expression in effetti and the word effetto.

Ormai (already, by now, at this point, by this time) is a wonderful word Italians use all the time. However, its definition isn't always easy to pin down. Daniela tells us about three nuances of the word and gives us a host of examples.

This wonderful word may be one of the first ones you learn while traveling in Italy. It's incredibly useful as a one-word answer and in many cases, very easy to use. Daniela explains everything we need to know. See also this lesson in English about magari.

Just as infatti (in fact) has become one word made up of in and fatti, so also has affatti (totally) succumbed to the same fate. But here, there's a catch. It can have two opposing meanings, so you have to be careful. Daniela explains.

If you're not sure how to write a letter to your new Italian friend, Daniela is here to help. She tells us the parts of a letter and some options for the greeting and the salutation.

Even informal letters have a certain form. The words we choose to open and close the letter set the tone. Daniela gives us some examples of how to open and close a friendly letter.

Knowing how to write a formal letter is very important, especially if we are looking for a job, making a complaint, or even just trying to get some information. Daniela shows us how.

As you shall see, Italian has a range of salutations at the beginning of formal or business letters, where various adjectives are used in place of "dear." Not only that! They also have curious abbreviations to be familiar with.

What do we call the people we are writing to if they are professionals? Daniela gives us some answers. And she gives us some practical examples about how to actually begin writing the body of the letter.

Daniela gives us various examples of how to close a formal letter as well as the complimentary closing that precedes the signature. As you will see, these are quite different from the ones in English letters. We then recap the parts of a formal letter.

Are you ready for the passive voice? In many ways, the Italian passive works as it does in English. If we have a subject, a transitive verb and a direct object, we can form either an active phrase or a passive one. But there are some rules, and Daniela sets out to explain them.

After summing up about the passive voice, Daniela goes on to talk about some other related constructions. It's important to remember that the passive is formed with transitive verbs only. But when we don't have a named subject or agent, we have a few other ways to make a sentence passive-like. One way uses the famous particella (particle) si. Si is used for so many things in Italian that it is bound to create confusion for learners, even advanced learners. Don't worry, part 3 of the lesson will explain further. Another way uses the verb andare (to go) to indicate something that must be done. Here too, the stress is on the action, not the subject or agent.

Although the si passivante (passivizing si) is a kind of si impersonale, it has some very specific differences. Daniela explains them and provides some examples.

In a sentence, the main clause can stand on its own, but there can also be a subordinate or dependent clause. Today's lesson addresses the causal subordinate clause, which gives the reason for the action in the main clause. Conjunctions such as perché (because) dato che (given that) are used to join the two clauses.

Daniela talks about explicit and implicit causal subordinate clauses.

Another kind of subordinate clause is the temporal subordinate. One way we introduce it is with conjunctions having to do with time, such as "while," "when," and "as long as." There are other ways to form a temporal subordinate clause, and Daniela explains them.

There is a certain kind of subordinate clause, called a "clause of purpose," that basically answers the question, "to what end?" Italian has a number of conjunctions that can be translated as "so that," and they take the subjunctive in most cases. So this kind of subordinate clause can be tricky.

Don't be scared off by fancy names of clauses and parts of speech. Daniela is just showing us different ways of saying the same thing, but sometimes one way is clearer than the other, especially when the subject changes from main to subordinate clause.

Italian has an amazingly long list of conjunctions or locutions that mean "although," "despite," and similar words. Daniela explains what a concession subordinate clause is and gives us several examples.

Daniela explains further about constructing explicit subordinate clauses and gives some examples to clarify.

To conclude the lesson on concessive subordinate clauses, we look at those constructed using the past participle of a verb or the gerund and introductory locations such as benché (though) and pure (despite), among others.

Daniela talks about two kinds of relative subordinate clauses — restrictive and explanatory — and how we punctuate them differently.

Daniela explains the relative pronouns used in forming a relative subordinate clause. She starts out with the explicit kind.

In this lesson, we look at implicit relative subordinate clauses, and how they are introduced. One of their main characteristics is that they use the infinitive of a verb, rather than a conjugated one.

Daniela tells us about comparatives used in subordinate clauses. There are three kinds: majority, minority, and equality.

In this part of the lesson about subordinate clauses, Daniela talks about analogies or hypothetical situations. The English equivalent would be when we say, "as if..."