How to learn Italian
step by step.

1. 1

   Set a clear goal with the CEFR levels

   Decide what "knowing Italian" means for you before you start. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) splits a language into 6 levels, from A1 (Beginner) to C2 (Mastery), and each one describes what you can actually do with the language.

   A1 is about greetings, introductions and the essentials of everyday conversation. Most travellers and beginners should aim for A1 first, then A2: talk about the past, your plans and everyday situations with confidence. A clear target tells you when a stage is done and stops you jumping between random resources.

   The course, A1 to C2
2. 2

   Learn the Italian sound system first

   Italian is easier to pronounce than it looks, because its spelling is regular: once you know the rules, you can read any word aloud. Spend your first sessions on sounds, not lists of words, so that everything you learn afterwards is stored with the right pronunciation.

   The key rules are few. Read every written vowel. The letters c and g are soft before e or i and hard before a, o or u, and a silent h keeps them hard. Double consonants are held longer than single ones, and a written accent marks a stressed final vowel. The examples below come from the grammar lesson of A1 Unit 1.

   cena / cinema

   dinner / cinema - soft c

   casa / cosa

   house / thing - hard c

   gelato / giro

   ice cream / tour - soft g

   gatto / gomma

   cat / eraser - hard g

   che / chi

   that / who - hard c with h

   spaghetti

   spaghetti - hard g with h

   pala / palla

   shovel / ball - single and double l

   città

   city - final written accent

   Lesson · The Italian sound system
3. 3

   Start with phrases you can use today

   Learn whole phrases before single words. Greetings, your name and where you are from let you hold a first conversation within days, and every phrase carries grammar you will meet again later.

   Say each phrase out loud as you learn it. Every example in the course comes with audio: listen, repeat and compare. These are the first words of A1 Unit 1.

   Buongiorno, mi chiamo Alex.

   Good morning, my name is Alex.

   Piacere, sono Giulia.

   Nice to meet you, I am Giulia.

   Come ti chiami?

   What is your name? (informal)

   Come si chiama?

   What is your name? (formal)

   Di dove sei?

   Where are you from? (informal)

   Sono di Manchester.

   I am from Manchester.

   Come stai?

   How are you? (informal)

   Bene, grazie. E tu?

   Fine, thank you. And you?

   Lesson · Welcome to Italy
4. 4

   Learn the core grammar in a fixed order

   Grammar is easier when each topic builds on the one before. Italian verbs change their ending for every person and nouns are masculine or feminine, so learn them in a deliberate order instead of all at once. The A1 level introduces 24 topics, one unit at a time.

   When something is unclear, look it up in the Grammar Library: it maps all 83 topics from A1 to C2 and links each one to the unit that teaches it.

   • Alfabeto e pronuncia · Alphabet & pronunciation
   • Pronomi soggetto · Subject pronouns
   • Essere · To be (present)
   • Domande di base · Basic questions
   • La negazione · Negation
   • Genere dei sostantivi · Gender of nouns
   • Il plurale dei sostantivi · Plural of nouns
   • Articoli determinativi · Definite articles (il, lo, la…)
   • Articoli indeterminativi · Indefinite articles (un, uno, una…)
   • L’accordo dell’aggettivo · Adjective agreement
   • Avere · To have (present)
   • Aggettivi possessivi · Possessive adjectives (mio, tuo, suo…)
   • Questo e quello · Demonstratives
   • C’è / ci sono · There is / there are
   • Presente indicativo · Present tense
   • Verbi irregolari al presente · Irregular verbs in the present
   • I numeri · Numbers
   • Le date · Dates
   • L’ora · Telling the time
   • Verbi riflessivi · Reflexive verbs
   • Quantità e partitivi · Quantities & partitives
   • Preposizioni semplici · Simple prepositions (a, in, da, di…)
   • Costruzione della frase · Building basic sentences
   • Parole interrogative · Question words (dove, quando, come…)

   Grammar Library
5. 5

   Practise reading, listening, speaking and writing

   Knowing a rule is not the same as using it. Every unit of the course moves through vocabulary, grammar and practice, then a reading, a listening, a speaking and a writing lesson, so each new structure is met in a text, heard in a dialogue, said aloud and finally written by you.

   Each lesson takes about 20 minutes, which fits a short session on a phone or a longer one at a desk. Doing the stages in order matters more than doing many of them in one sitting.

6. 6

   Review vocabulary with spaced repetition

   Words you meet once are soon forgotten. Spaced repetition brings each word back just before you would forget it, and pushes the next review further away every time you remember it, so a few minutes a day keeps a growing vocabulary alive.

   The flashcards on this site work this way: 21 words in 2 decks, with pronunciation, linked to the units where the words are taught. Your progress is saved in your own browser, with no account.

   Vocabulary flashcards
7. 7

   Study a little every day and test yourself

   Consistency beats intensity: one or two lessons a day will take you further than an occasional long session. Pick a fixed time, finish the stage you started, and come back the next day.

   Every unit ends with a checkpoint quiz, and every answer is explained in English, so you always know why an answer is right. Pass the checkpoint, then move on to the next unit; if you miss questions, go back to the lesson that teaches them first.

   Mixed review exercises

This is what the beginner level covers, unit by unit, and what you will be able to do after each one.

1. Unit 1 · First contact

   Greet people, introduce yourself, and manage a first short conversation.

   • →Greet someone formally or informally - Ciao / Buongiorno
   • →Introduce yourself - Mi chiamo... / Sono...
   • →Ask and answer basic personal questions - Di dove sei?
2. Unit 2 · People and things

   Identify, count, and describe people and everyday objects.

   • →Identify an object - Che cos’è?
   • →Describe colour and size - una borsa rossa
   • →Identify and describe people - una studentessa simpatica
   • →Say what is present - C’è... / Ci sono...
3. Unit 3 · Family and home

   Talk about family members and describe who and what belongs in a home.

   • →Introduce family members - Questa è mia sorella
   • →Say age and possessions - Ha trent’anni
   • →Describe a home - C’è una cucina grande
4. Unit 4 · Everyday life

   Describe a normal weekday with regular present-tense verbs.

   • →Describe a normal day - Ogni giorno lavoro...
   • →Say how often - Di solito / spesso / mai
   • →Ask about routine - Che cosa fai di solito?
5. Unit 5 · Time and appointments

   Give times and dates, describe personal schedules, and arrange a meeting.

   • →Tell the time - Sono le tre
   • →Arrange a meeting - Ci vediamo alle...
   • →Describe a schedule - Mi alzo alle...
6. Unit 6 · Food and café

   Order food and drinks, talk about quantities, and express simple preferences.

   • →Order politely - Vorrei..., per favore
   • →Ask for a quantity - Quanto / quanta?
   • →Say likes and dislikes - Mi piace / non mi piace
7. Unit 7 · Around town

   Find places, understand routes, and use basic transport language.

   • →Ask where a place is - Dov’è...?
   • →Give a route - Vai dritto...
   • →Use local transport - Prendo l’autobus
8. Unit 8 · A day in Italy

   Combine A1 language to manage one complete independent day in Italy.

   • →Manage a chain of daily exchanges
   • →Ask for clarification - Può ripetere?
   • →Plan and report one complete day