Marika tells us about Italian sayings and proverbs, providing examples about life, love, and the weather.

Marika teaches us some other Italian sayings, regarding time; working on one's own, instead of being assisted; and even about people who drink too much, who might let down their guard, saying things they wouldn't say while sober.

In this video, Marika explains the days of the week, the months and the seasons of the year. Learn them now with Marika!

In this video, Marika moves around explaining directions (prepositions of place and direction). You need to refresh these as well? Well, repeat them with Marika!

Curious to know how Italians relate to certain colors? Let's review the colors with Marika and learn some Italian expressions associated with them.

Marika introduces us to the various parts of the upper body with the help of the doll Quincy and ten other little assistants.

In this video, Marika - with the help of Quincy - tells us about the chest and lower limbs of the human body. The lower limbs are attached to the chest at its base.

Marika tells us the true story of Father Christmas. Saint Nicholas was a bishop who was imprisoned in the fourth century after Christ, when Christians were being persecuted. Curious to hear more? Then listen to Marika.

Here we go with the second part of the story. Marika tells how the legend of Saint Nicholas became famous through the world and how he came to be known as Santa Claus, who brings presents to children.

Marika takes a small poll of Italians to find out how they spend Christmas Eve, what they eat, and, above all, whether or not they follow particular traditions.

Today Marika talks to us about the head and the face. You can learn or practice by repeating after her.

Are you curious to hear about Carnival celebrations in Italy? Marika describes for us some of the traditions and curiosities.

Are you familiar with any of the famous characters from the Commedia dell'Arte? And, what about "chats" that are a fantastic taste treat. Marika will tell you all about them.

Marika gives a lesson about numbers, both cardinal and ordinal ones.

Marika talks about multiplicative numbers as well as numbers concerning periods of time.

Do you already know the names of geometric figures in Italian? Review now with Marika and her very helpful little assistant, Nicolas.

Marika names some of the delicious fruits available in Italy. In general the fruits themselves are feminine, while the plants on which they grow take the masculine form.

Marika takes us through the vegetables used in Italian cooking. Buon appetito!

Marika tells us about the euro in Italy. Learn or review the names of the coins and bills, and go with Anna to buy some items she needs for school.

Office gossip, the Italian way. Marika and Anna dish about the boss, the boss's nephew, the boss's nephew with the wife of the old boss, a temp--all while pretending to work.

Marika goes over the names of farm animals, what their young are called, and the onomatopoetic calls of the animals.

Marika takes us to Rome, and talks about all the different ways we can get around--trains, scooters, and even hydrofoils.

Marika gives us a helpful guide to describing your feelings in any given moment.

Big or small, thick or thin? Marika gives you a jump start to some of the most common opposites used in everyday Italian. You'll get the picture!

Marika gets to help a friend in need, and at the same time, show off her skill at using a hammer and nails. She tells us how she put together a chest of drawers and put up a shelf all in a morning's work, and had fun doing it.

Marika shows us the various pots and pans, plates and silverware used every day in Italian kitchens, dining rooms and restaurants.

What time is the right time to say "Buongiorno?" Marika explains it and talks about how Italians tell time.

Marika tells us about the clothes people wear, from underwear to winter coats.

What would you wear if you had to do sports, go to the beach, or if it were cold? Marika teaches you the names for items of clothing, as well as an Italian saying on the subject.

It's time for spring cleaning. Marika shows us how, and more importantly, she gives us the names of the tools we'll need.

More spring cleaning! Marika shows us how to dust, and what materials to use. She goes on to wash the windows, and then the dishes.

Whose keys are these? Marika explains how to answer this kind of question and more. Occhio! (look out!): his and hers are the same!

Do you have shoes that need repair? Or maybe you need new sunglasses? Marika walks around a residential neighborhood, pointing out the different shops.

Join Marika as she walks around the city pointing out different kinds of shops. Learn where to get that flat tire on your bicycle fixed. And discover the unlikely name of the place you go to get your dry cleaning done.

You can't learn a language without knowing its alphabet. Here's Marika to teach you the Italian one. Pay special attention when she gets to J! It's one of the letters that wasn't in the original alphabet of 21 letters.

Once you know the rules, pronouncing Italian words correctly is not so hard. Some consonants change their pronunciation depending on what vowel follows them. Marika helps you get started.

Marika explains some more rules for pronouncing "C" and "G."

Often, when making a phone reservation for a restaurant, theatre, or museum, you'll be asked to spell your name. Marika gives us an example of how it's done in Italian.

Double letters are taken very seriously in Italian, so pay careful attention as Marika shows us how they work. You'll see why they're so important!

Marika gives us helpful hints for recognising masculine nouns, as well as some important exceptions.

Dealing with gender in Italian can be tricky. Most feminine nouns do end in "a," but not all. If it were only that easy! Marika tells us some of the main types of exceptions, putting them into categories to help us remember.

Marika introduces the three classes of plural nouns. She even has a tiny assignment for you!

Some nouns are the same in the singular and the plural. Marika makes it easy by dividing them into categories. She also gives us some important advice regarding nouns from other languages.

Whether or not you take stock in astrology, Marika gives you plenty of new vocabulary for talking about personality, while describing the characteristics attributed to the first three signs of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus and Gemini.

Marika explains the next three signs of the zodiac, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo. Learn plenty of adjectives that describe people's personalities.

This time Marika talks about Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius. There's lots of good vocabulary having to do with personality!

Here are the last three signs of the Zodiac, with new expressions and new vocabulary. The signs Marika talks about are Capricorno (Capricorn), Acquario (Aquarius), and Pesci (Pisces).

Just as in English, you would never say "I and you," there are rules in Italian, too for using these personal pronouns (io (I), tu (you-subject), me (me), te (you-object). Marika explains it all and gives you examples!

Many nouns are formed by adding suffixes to another word. If you know the original word, you can guess the noun. If you know the noun, you can guess the original word. Marika shows you how!

Marika tells us more about suffixes, and this time explains how to form nouns from adjectives. There's homework to do, too!

Just as in English, Italian has a great many compound nouns. Marika explains the different types. A proposito, this time she greets us a new way, saying buondì. It's simply another way of saying buongiorno. Dì is another way of saying giorno (day). Diurno is its relative adjective, meaning "daytime."

There are lots of ways to form compound nouns, and lots of different ways to form their plurals. Marika fills us in.

To form the opposite of a word in Italian, there are different kinds of prefixes. Marika explains how they work.

Marika explains how to form adjectives from nouns, by using various suffixes.

It's a very Italian thing to alter a word to make it mean something bigger, smaller, or worse. You just need to know the right suffix to add to the word. Marika shows you how.

2015 is an exciting year for Italy, because this year's Expo is in Milan. Marika was lucky enough to go, and she's eager to share her experience with you. But first she gives you a little background on how the Expo got started as a phenomenon.

Marika shares her impressions and her bubbling enthusiasm for the Expo 2015 held in Milan until the October thirty-first of this year. We hope you get the chance to go!

Marika introduces us to an area where Italian and English have some important differences: reflexive and reciprocal verbs. For extra help, see: Reflections on the Reflexive and Ci Gets Around: Part 1

Can you answer the question, cosa stai facendo (What are you doing)? If not, take a look at this video where Marika explains the presente progressivo (present continuous tense).

The third person "impersonal" has mostly gone out of fashion in English, but in Italian it's used all the time. Although in English it's common to use "you" or the passive voice, we've used the impersonal "one" here, in order to understand better how it works.

Marika gives us an overview on how to use direct object pronouns, which take the place of direct objects when the object has already been referred to. Here's an example of this in English:
"Do you know the answer [direct object noun]?" "Yes I know it [direct object pronoun]."

Using the prepositions "to" and "at" in Italian can be tricky, because there's one Italian word for both: a. Marika gives us some tips.

Marika explains when to use the prepositions: in (to), da (from), di (of, from), and per (for, to, by). There's no need to learn them all at once!

Marika shows us the rules about using direct object pronouns. Don't be discouraged if you don't absorb it all at once. It takes plenty of practice, and plenty of trial and error. See first part: Marika spiega - Pronomi diretti

Melanzane alla Parmigiana, or La parmigiana di melanzane (Eggplant Parmesan) is a classic recipe from the Campania region. Marika shows us how to make it, one step at a time.

Marika prepares the eggplant slices by baking them in the oven—a much lighter way of preparing the eggplant layers than the traditional frying method.

It's time to check the eggplant in the oven. And what about the slices that were a bit too sottili (thin)? Will they have burned? Note that English mostly uses eggplant as a collective noun (in the singular) but Italian, unless referring specifically to a single eggplant, uses the plural le melanzane when referring to eggplant in general, and to the slices themselves.

We've finally reached the last part of this recipe. Now you can make this dish yourself. Don't forget to pre-heat the oven to two hundred and twenty or two hundred and forty degrees (428-464°F). If you happen to have any leftover afterwards, you can safely freeze it. Buon appetito!

Marika shows us the entryway of her apartment, from the intercom to the coat rack.

Marika shows us her children's cozy bedroom. You may notice that there is an emphasis on drawing and coloring. Italian students are graded on their drawings.

We continue getting acquainted with Marika's apartment. This time she shows us the hall with its furnishings.

It's time for the grand tour of a very important room in Marika's apartment, the bathroom! You'll notice she gets a little mixed up between hot and cold water faucets! Don't worry--the position is the same in Italy as in other countries!

Marika shows us her apartment's master bedroom.

Marika shows us around her kitchen, the heart of the household. We can bet it's her favorite room of all!

Marika gives us a tour of her living room, where the family is entertained, and where she has lunch and dinner parties for guests.

In many languages, animals are used to describe human characteristics, but not every language uses the same animal for the same characteristic! Marika shares with us the Italian point of view.

There are plenty of idiomatic expressions connected with certain verbs. Marika tells us about expressions with dire (to say).

The verb fare (to do, to make) is used in lots of expressions. Marika talks about some of the most common ones.

Marika has a nice group of Italian idiomatic expressions using the verb prendere (to take).

By popular request, Marika has a great lesson on dividing words into syllables.

Marika has more tips on how to divide syllables and some fun practice words, too.

Several Yabla users asked about elisions and contractions, and how, when, and where they're used. This is Marika's first of three videos on this essential topic.

Marika tells us more about the use of elisions in Italian.

In some cases using an elision is not grammatically correct. Marika explains some of these cases.

Marika's first of three lessons on truncation, where she compares elision to truncation. There are many useful examples, such as: mar, san, buon, ben, and signor.

Marika outlines exceptions to the rules governing truncation, and provides many useful examples.

The final segment on truncation covers imperative mood verbs that take apostrophes, as well as expressions concerning maladies.

Marika's opening segment on accents and accentuation in Italian.

Marika covers the grave and acute accents, providing examples of words that have entirely different meanings because of their accentuation.

Marika's last segment on accents covers some fun homographs. She also provides advice on learning the correct pronunciation of words.

What in English is called a tongue-twister, in Italian is a scioglilingua, or tongue loosener. The Trentine one, with the alliterated Ts, is the most successful in English translation.

Marika, in her lesson on the verb mettere (to put, to set) includes some commonly used expressions.

Marika provides more useful expressions that employ the verb mettere [to put]. Mettere a posto [to put in order, to tidy up] is one that is used on a daily basis.

Marika relates some expressions using the verb chiudere [to close, to shut]. A number of these are very close to English expressions.

Marika focuses on the verbs cavare and togliere, both of which mean to remove. She also provides some expressions for both verbs.

Marika shows us her balcony, highlighting its utilitarian and pleasure sides. Washing machines are often placed on balconies. This is because Rome's climate is mild and there is little danger of frozen pipes.

Marika's lesson is on transitive verbs, or verbs that take direct objects, known as complemento oggetto in Italian.

Marika's lesson is on intransitive verb and how to recognize them. She has some interesting things to say on southern Italian speech and the influence of Spanish.

Marika's lesson is on the all important verb andare [to go]. She includes a number of common expressions using this irregular verb.

Marika starts off her 3-part series on particles, otherwise known as function words. In this segment, she mostly concentrates on the locative function of the particle ci.

Marika's lesson concentrates on how the pronouns: mi [me], ti [you], vi [you, plural] are used in conjunction with the particle "ci."

Marika covers with the pronominal particle ci, this time providing examples as to how it is used with the direct pronouns: lo, la, li, and le.

Marika discusses the particle "ne" and provides examples of how it is used as a partitive pronoun (some, none) among other uses.

Marika's lesson involves the use of the particles ce and ne when they are side by side in a sentence.

Gliene is the double object pronoun that Marika focuses on in this segment.

Marika features the verb mancare [to miss] and provides numerous expressions using the verb.

Marika's video on the flu also includes a lot of useful vocabulary on first aid kits.

Marika focuses on the verb venire [to come], providing lots of useful examples of how it is used, and also contrasting it with the verb andare [to go].

Marika continues her lesson on the all-important verb venire [to come], providing many useful examples of its use.

Marika goes over the verbs andare [to go] and venire [to come], verbs that are often mistakenly interchanged. She also highlights the expression, va bene, which can indicate that things are going nicely or can be used to voice agreement.

Marika continues with her lesson on the crucial verbs, andare [to go] and venire [to come], and provides many useful examples.

Here's a summer recipe that uses simple but good ingredients.

Marika finishes explaining how to make a delicious pasta salad, so you'll be ready to give it a try in your own kitchen. Buon appetito!

Marika, in response to Yabla user requests, begins her 3-part lesson on those pesky little words (Me plus lo, la, li, le, and ne, together with Ti plus lo, la, li, le, and ne), otherwise known as combined pronouns or double pronouns.

Marika covers these super tricky combined pronouns: glielo, gliela, glieli, gliene, and gliele.

Marika wraps up her lessons on combined pronouns in which ci acts as a stand in for places.

Marika begins a five-part series on the five different types of adverbs in Italian. Location adverbs, which would be termed more “prepositions” in English, are the focus of this segment. In Italian, the difference between adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions is often blurry.

Marika discusses adverbs of time, including: subito [immediately], mai [never], and talvolta [sometimes].

It may come as a relief to see that Italian adverbs of manner are similar to English ones. But when Marika starts giving us some [very useful] idiomatic adverbial phrases using adjectives, it's slightly more complicated.

How much is too much? Marika explains about quantity, and shares some common idioms about quantity and degree that can come in very handy.

Marika shows us what materials she uses in her small home office. Whether you work or go to school, these terms will come in handy.

The noun biancheria (linens) comes from bianco, the Italian word for "white." Marika tells us why that is, and takes us around the house to look at the different kinds we use.

Greeting people is the first thing we do when we meet up with someone, so it's important to know how to do it right, especially when you don't know the person. Marika shows us how.

The word cosa (thing) in Italian is an extremely useful word, especially when you don't know the real word for something. Marika tells us about how it's used in Italian everyday conversation.

The word cosa (thing, something, what) is used a great deal in Italian. In speech, it's especially used in questions to mean "what." Marika explains how this works.

Come is an important question word that means "how," but it also fulfills plenty of other roles. Marika spells out the ways...

In this second part, you will master using come (how) in questions and exclamations.

Quando (when) is an important question word. It can be used as either an adverb or a conjunction.

Here is some more about the very useful adverb and conjunction quando (when). It's comforting to know that quando is usually translated with "when," but there are a few exceptions, and above all, there are some new expressions to learn.

Daniela and Marika show us the basics of making conversation between 2 people who know each other as well as between strangers, or people of different ages.

Marika and Daniela continue their conversation about making conversation in Italian. They even talk a little bit about baby talk, Italian style, including the vezzeggiativo (affectionate) form of adjectives.

Marika shares some of her childhood with us, specifically, her experience of having a puppy grow up beside her as part of the family. Now she has children of her own, and wants to give them that same special experience.

Adopting a dog means going through several steps. Marika describes what she and her family went through in attempting to realize their dream of having a puppy.

What accessories do we need when we take a kitten into the family? Some are just for kittens themselves, and others are for us humans. Marika makes introductions.

Marika shows us a series of items that make it easier to have cats in the house. In order to discourage the cats from destroying the furniture, rugs, and curtains, there are some handy remedies.

Adopting an animal is a serious undertaking! Marika is fully aware of that fact and in this final segment, she gets down to the nitty-gritty of keeping cats at home.

It's time to learn the names of the planets in Italian. Marika talks about our Solar System. Great for beginners!

This is a great video for beginners, especially beginners who like to go to the beach. Here are the words you need to know.

Here's how to plan a birthday party in Italian. In this case, it's for a piglet turning eight.

Here are some simple words you need to know if you want to travel in Italy, and walk, cycle, or drive around a town or city. For example, what's the difference between a piazza and a piazzale?

Do you know how to say "plumber" in Italian? Marika gives us a rundown of the most common professions in Italy and how to say them in Italian.

Knowing the rules of the road is very important, and if you plan to drive in Italy, you'll find this video useful. Knowing the rules of the road is essential for driving safely.

Marika explains the difference between dottore and medico and helps us understand all the different kinds of doctors. Great for beginners.

Let's learn the names of common insects in Italian. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Get to know some of Italy's favorite sports. You probably already know the absolute favorite...

Marika talks about going to the movies in Italy. Don't worry. Italians like popcorn, too.

Marika tells us about parks and what we find there, and also what we can do there.

With the term pronto soccorso, what's usually meant is the emergency room of a hospital. Marika takes us through who to call if you have an accident, and how an emergency room works in Italy.

When you rent out a house to someone or rent a house from someone, it's important to know who's who. Marika explains how it works.

No one likes paying bills, ma vanno pagate (but they have to be paid). Marika goes over some of the most common utilities and special taxes you have to pay if you live in Italy.

If you don't check your meters and tell the electric and gas companies how much you have consumed, they make an estimate. Sometimes this means you get a nasty surprise at the end of the year, when they work things out, and figure out how much you owe in order to square accounts. This is called il conguaglio.

Marika gets us on track with the words and expressions we need for talking about math. You might hate math, as many do, but it is handy to have the vocabulary at your fingertips!

We all know how to add and subtract, but talking about it in Italian is another thing. Marika helps us make sense of it and talks about the fractions and percentages we often find in the news and surveys.

The five senses. We know what they are in English, but let's learn them in Italian. First, though, Marika will talk about the noun senso (sense), itself, which has some meanings beyond its cognate "sense."

In this second part, we look at the sense of sight, the sense of smell, and the sense of taste. What are the receptor organs connected to these senses?

Marika tells us about the sense of hearing and touch in this final segment. Do you know what the largest sensory organ is?

This video lesson is about simple prepositions, especially di (of, from, about) and a (to, at).

We continue with simple prepositions, starting off with da (from). But da can also mean "to" or "at," so you won't want to miss this. Marika also explains when to use in or a regarding cities, countries, etc.