Marika and Daniela are chatting in Rome, with the Colosseum in the distance. The focus of their chat is the word chiedere (to ask) in its different conjugations.

Daniela and her pupils compare the opening hours of shops in their country to those in Italy where, traditionally, the midday break has always had particular importance. Over the past ten years, tradition has gradually given way to convenience, and the rules governing opening hours have become less and less strict.

Daniela talks about verbs having to do with shops, and whether they close at lunchtime or not.

We are at the beautiful botanical gardens of Rome. Marika and Anna are sitting on a bench talking. In their conversation they take us through the different conjugations of the verb pensare (to think).

When we speak of an unspecified quantity of food items, objects, etc. we use the indefinite or partitive article, which changes according to the gender of the noun in question (singular: del, della, dello, and plural: dei, delle, degli). In the second part of the lesson, you'll notice that Italian uses the equivalent of "of" or "of it" where English doesn't. Feel free to absorb the first part of this lesson before tackling the second part.

Marika and Anna present the verb avere (to have) in the subjunctive mood, which, in Italian, as you'll see, is used when the word che is used as a conjunction. This mood has practically disappeared from the English language.

Daniela started out dubbing films. Now she works as a voice-over artist, narrating documentaries. Marika and Daniela talk about common errors in pronunciation and how much of a difference they can make!

Daniela talks about the conjugation of the verb "to have," and gives us some important information about pronunciation.

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.

In this lesson, Daniela talks about the two most important verbs in Italian: essere (to be) and avere (to have).

Join Daniela's class where we learn more about how to greet people in Italian.

How many hand movements and gestures can an Italian make during a totally normal conversation? Have a look at Marika and Francesca!

Anna and Marika talk about their love lives, using the remote past and the remote past perfect, as well as the present and past conditional.

What do you say when you meet someone for the first time? Daniela discusses introductions.

Arianna gives us more insights on the gestures used by Italians in everyday life, and talks about what body language can reveal about a person.