of being. Here’s how it’s conjugated in the present tense:
Io sono – I am
Tu sei – You are (informal)
Lui/Lei è – He/She/It is
Noi siamo – We are
Voi siete – You are (plural/formal)
Loro sono – They are
Let’s look at some examples:
Io sono americano. – I am American. (If you’re a female, you would say: Io sono americana.)
Tu sei simpatico. – You are nice. (to a male)
Lei è italiana. – She is Italian.
Noi siamo studenti. – We are students. (male or mixed group)
Voi siete felici. – You are happy. (plural)
Loro sono a Roma. – They are in Rome.
Avere: To Have
The verb avere is used to express possession, age, and certain feelings. Here’s how it’s conjugated in the present tense:
Io ho – I have
Tu hai – You have (informal)
Lui/Lei ha – He/She/It has
Noi abbiamo – We have
Voi avete – You have (plural/formal)
Loro hanno – They have
Here are some examples:
Io ho un libro. – I have a book.
Tu hai una macchina. – You have a car.
Lui ha vent’anni. – He is twenty years old. (literally, «He has twenty years.»)
Noi abbiamo fame. – We are hungry. (literally, «We have hunger.»)
Voi avete sete? – Are you thirsty? (plural/formal, literally, «Do you have thirst?»)
Loro hanno una casa grande. – They have a big house.
Basic Adjectives: Gli Aggettivi
Adjectives are words that describe nouns. In Italian, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe, and they must agree in gender and number with the noun. Let’s look at a few basic adjectives:
Alto/Alta – Tall
Basso/Bassa – Short
Grande – Big
Piccolo/Piccola – Small
Bello/Bella – Beautiful
Brutto/Brutta – Ugly
Nuovo/Nuova – New
Vecchio/Vecchia – Old
Examples:
La casa è grande. – The house is big. (feminine singular)
Il libro è piccolo. – The book is small. (masculine singular)
Le case sono belle. – The houses are beautiful (feminine plural)
I libri sono nuovi. – The books are new (masculine plural)
Using Essere to Describe Yourself and Others
You can use essere along with adjectives to describe people:
Io sono alto. – I am tall. (masculine)
Lei è bassa. – She is short. (feminine)
Tu sei bello. – You are handsome. (masculine)
Lei è bella. – You are beautiful. (feminine)
Noi siamo felici. – We are happy. (masculine/mixed group)
Loro sono intelligenti. – They are intelligent. (plural – can be masculine or feminine)
Cultural Note: The Importance of Family
In Italian culture, family (la famiglia) is incredibly important. Family ties are strong, and Italians often live close to their relatives and spend a lot of time together. Family meals are a central part of Italian life, and children are often raised with a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility to their family. This emphasis on family influences many aspects of Italian society and culture.
Exercises
Conjugation Practice: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of essere or avere:
Io ____ uno studente.
Tu ____ fame?
Lei ____ italiana.
Noi ____ amici.
Voi ____ una macchina?
Loro ____ vent’anni.
Sentence Construction: Use the words provided to create complete sentences using essere and adjectives:
Io / americano
Tu / simpatico
Lei / alta
Noi / felici
Loro / intelligenti
Translation: Translate the following sentences into Italian:
I am hungry.
You are beautiful (to a female).
He is American.
We have a big house.
They are happy.
True or false:
Avere means to be. (true/false)
Essere is used to express possession. (true/false)
Translate the sentences:
I have a cat.
She is short.
Answer Key:
sono, hai, è, siamo, avete, hanno
Io sono americano., Tu sei simpatico., Lei è alta., Noi siamo felici., Loro sono intelligenti.
Io ho fame., Tu sei bella., Lui è americano., Noi abbiamo una casa grande., Loro sono felici.
False, False
Io ho un gatto, Lei è bassa.
Next Steps:
Ottimo lavoro! Excellent work! You’ve learned two essential verbs and how to use them to describe yourself and others. In the next chapter, we’ll learn about numbers, days, and months. A presto! See you soon!
Chapter 4: Numbers, Days, and Months
In this chapter, we’ll learn how to count, talk about the days of the week, and discuss the months of the year. These are essential for making plans, scheduling appointments, and simply navigating everyday life in Italy.
Numbers 1—20: I Numeri da Uno a Venti
1: uno (m.) / una (f.)
2: due
3: tre
4: quattro
5: cinque
6: sei
7: sette
8: otto
9: nove
10: dieci
11: undici
12: dodici
13: tredici
14: quattordici
15: quindici
16: sedici
17: diciassette
18: diciotto
19: diciannove
20: venti
Numbers 21—100: I Numeri da Ventuno a Cento
21: ventuno (20+1)
22: ventidue (20+2)
23: ventitré (20+3)
…and so on until…
30: trenta
40: quaranta
50: cinquanta
60: