Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Nobody in the class volunteers to talk about the Molise region, but by chance, Anna gets called on. And we get to learn all about this small region.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Italians love leafy-green vegetables, and especially in the south, there's the predilection for bitter greens, such as chicory. Chicory lends a special taste to this casserole dish, with scamorza [cheese] and cured ham that offset the mildly bitter taste of the chicory. Anna and Marika show us the ingredients and tools we need.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Anna and Marika work in harmony to prepare the chicory timbale and put it in the oven to bake.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Adriano shows us the place where the reception will take place. It will include dining and dancing, complete with deejay.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Everyone is talking about coronavirus. Marika addresses frequently asked questions about this recent, ongoing phenomenon.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Marika talks about how one can contract coronavirus, the symptoms, and the guidelines to avoid getting infected.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Italy is being pushed to its limits right now, but hope never dies. Even though people have to stay home, there is a feeling of solidarity and positivity. Marika describes some of the initiatives that have taken form.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
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.
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