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ITALIAN
STARTING OUT IN
Welcome to Living Language's Starting Out in Italian, an
introductory course teaching you the basics of the Italian language.
This all- audio course is designed to be used without any printed
material, but should you decide you want to read along as you
listen to the lessons, visit www.livinglanguage.com for a free
downloadable transcript and other resources.
Prima Lezione: Saluti, presentazioni e espressioni di cortesia
Lesson 1: Greetings, introductions, and expressions of politeness
Ciao! Hello! In this lesson, you'll learn how to greet people and introduce yourself. You'll also learn
some very useful polite expressions for making a good fi rst impression. First, let's get started with some
vocabulary. You'll hear the English fi rst, and then you'll hear the Italian. Repeat each new word or phrase
every time you hear it. Ready?
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VOCABULARY BUILDING 1
hi, hello, good- bye ciao
hello salve
good morning buon giorno
good afternoon buon pomeriggio
good evening buona sera
good night buona notte
have a good day buona giornata
have a good evening buona serata
good- bye (infml.) arrivederci
good- bye (fml.) arrivederLa
see you soon a presto
see you later a dopo
TAKE A BREAK 1
Okay, let's stop for a moment. You just learned how to say hello (ciao, salve), good morning (buon
giorno), good afternoon (buon pomeriggio), good evening (buona sera), good night (buona notte),
have a good day (buona giornata), have a good evening (buona serata), see you soon (a presto), and
see you later (a dopo). Did you notice that there are two expressions for good- bye, either arrivederci or
arrivederLa? That's because the fi rst (arrivederci) is informal and the second (arrivederLa) is formal.
You'll use arrivederci with family and friends, and arrivederLa in any other context. However, very often
people tend to use arrivederci in formal contexts, too. Also keep in mind that another informal- and very
common- way to say good- bye is ciao, better if repeated twice: ciao ciao! (bye- bye! )
Now that you know how to greet people, let's move on to some vocabulary and expressions you can use
to introduce yourself and make someone's acquaintance.
VOCABULARY BUILDING 2
My name is . . . Mi chiamo . . .
I am from . . . Sono di . . .
. . . and you (infml.)? . . . e tu?
. . . and you (fml.)? . . . e Lei?
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Pleased to meet you. Piacere.
Pleased to meet you, too. Piacere mio.
How are you doing (infml.)? Come stai?
How are you doing (fml.)? Come sta?
Very well, thanks. Molto bene, grazie.
(I am) Fine, thanks. (Sto) Bene, grazie.
So-so, not bad. Così così.
Thank you. Thanks. Grazie.
Thanks a lot. Grazie mille.
You're welcome. Prego.
Don't mention it. Non c'è di che.
TAKE A BREAK 2
Let's pause there for a moment and focus on a very important distinction. In Italian, there is a formal and
an informal way to introduce yourself and make someone's acquaintance. If you're meeting someone in
a casual context you'll say: ciao, mi chiamo . . . e tu? (hi, my name is . . . , and you?), while in a more
formal context you'll say: salve (or buon giorno/buona sera/ . . . ), mi chiamo . . . e Lei? (hello, my
name is . . . , and you?). Again, you have two options to ask someone how he or she is doing: come stai?
(if speaking informally) and come sta? (when speaking formally). Keep in mind that the formal you (Lei)
is always capitalized in writing to avoid confusion with the feminine pronoun lei, meaning she.
ONE MORE TIME . . .
Okay, let's put everything you've learned so far together in a short comprehension exercise. You'll hear the
English fi rst, and then the Italian, which you should repeat for practice.
My name is Mario, and you?
M: Mi chiamo Mario, e tu?
Good evening Mario, my name is Carla. How are you?
F: Buona sera Mario, mi chiamo Carla. Come stai?
Very well, thanks.
M: Molto bene, grazie.
Pleased to meet you!
F: Piacere!
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Pleased to meet you, too!
M: Piacere mio!
Have a good day.
F: Buona giornata.
See you later.
M: A dopo.
BRING IT ALL TOGETHER
Now let's bring it all together, and add a little bit more vocabulary and structure.
Good morning, my name is Paul Bennet. I am from Boston, and you (fml.)?
M: Buon giorno, mi chiamo Paul Bennet. Io sono di Boston, e Lei?
My name is Carla Betti and I'm from Milan. Very pleased to meet you!
F: Mi chiamo Carla Betti e io sono di Milano. Molto piacere!
Pleased to meet you, too.
M: Piacere mio.
How's it going, Mr. Bennet?