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.

Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto: more passion, intrigue, love, and cruelty at court. The curse is fulfilled!

Pollara is one of the villages on Salina, one of the Aeolian Islands, and the only one to boast fresh water with the resulting vegetative mantle. In fact, its important crops include capers and grapes (in the form of Malvasia wine).

The murder weapon has been identified by Inspector Rubino, and she has a nifty program to discover the password for the victim's handheld organizer, found at his house.

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).

Federico Fellini, having won three Oscars, talks about the Academy Awards and how they represent the goal of every filmmaker both in the U.S. and abroad. He goes on to talk about American cinema as mythical, legendary.

The Martini family isn't getting along so well with the new housekeeper. She doesn't give them enough time for breakfast and spends too much money on supplies.

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

After the war, when eating had to do with survival, tastes started to change and to branch out towards different regions. Now, once again cucina tipica (traditional local cooking) or prodotti tipici (local products) have practically become magic words.

Panarea is the smallest of the Aeolian Islands, and is sometimes called the island with the sea inside it. Its transparent sea, steep bluffs, volcanic eruptions and quaint village make it very attractive to tourists.

Lara's aunt Caterina goes to police headquarters to show Commissioner Manara a painting she found at a flea market, that could help with the investigation.

Lele is having trouble finding a housekeeper within his budget. His assistant at the hospital advises him to look for an "au pair" girl instead. A woman overhears the conversation and offers her services.

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.

Meet the characters from The Barber of Seville, an opera by Gioacchino Rossini that was first performed in 1816: brought to you by Anna and Marika.

When winter passes, the cuckoo starts singing and the air becomes infused with spring fragrances, and with love.