Read the book: «Easy Learning Italian Vocabulary»
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Second edition 2016
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.
MANAGING EDITOR
Maree Airlee
CONTRIBUTORS
Francesca Logi
Janice McNeillie
FOR THE PUBLISHER
Gerry Breslin
Rachel Grocott
eBook Edition © May 2016
ISBN 9780008142070
Version: 2016-04-01
contents
Title Page
Copyright
How to Use this Book
Abbreviations
Gender and Plural
air travel
animals
bikes
birds
body
calendar
camping
careers
cars
clothes
colours
computing and IT
countries and nationalities
countryside
describing people
education
environment
family
farm
fish and insects
food and drink
free time
fruit
furniture and appliances
geographical names
greetings and everyday phrases
health
hotel
house – general
house – particular
information and services
law
materials
music
numbers and quantities
personal items
plants and gardens
seaside and boats
shopping
sports
theatre and cinema
time
tools
town
trains
trees
vegetables
vehicles
the weather
youth hostelling
supplementary vocabulary
articles and pronouns
conjunctions
adjectives
adverbs and prepositions
nouns
verbs
About the Publisher
how to use this book
The Easy Learning Italian Vocabulary is designed for both young and adult learners. Whether you are starting to learn Italian for the very first time, revising for school exams or simply want to brush up on your Italian, the Easy Learning Italian Vocabulary offers you the information you require in a clear and accessible format.
This book is divided into 50 topics, arranged in alphabetical order. This thematic approach enables you to learn related words and phrases together, so that you can become confident in using particular vocabulary in context.
Vocabulary within each topic is divided into nouns and useful phrases which are aimed at helping you to express yourself in idiomatic Italian. Vocabulary within each topic is graded to help you prioritize your learning. Essential words include the basic words you will need to be able to communicate effectively, important words help expand your knowledge, and useful words provide additional vocabulary which will enable you to express yourself more fully.
Nouns are grouped by gender: masculine (“il”) nouns are given together, as are feminine (“la”) nouns, enabling you to memorize words according to their gender. In addition, all feminine forms of adjectives are shown, as are irregular, invariable and gender-changing noun plurals.
At the end of the book you will find a list of supplementary vocabulary, grouped according to part of speech – adjective, verb, noun and so on. This is vocabulary which you will come across in many everyday situations.
abbreviations
ABBREVIATIONS
| adj | adjective |
| adv | adverb |
| conj | conjunction |
| f | feminine |
| inv | invariable |
| m | masculine |
| m+f | masculine and feminine form |
| n | noun |
| pl | plural |
| pl inv | invariable, with no change to noun in the plural |
| prep | preposition |
| qc | qualcosa |
| qn | qualcuno |
| sb | somebody |
| sing | singular |
| sth | something |
The swung dash ~ is used to indicate no change to a word in the plural of a compound noun.
gender and plural
GENDER
In Italian, nouns are either masculine or feminine. Most masculine nouns take the article il. This article becomes l’ when the noun begins with a vowel and becomes lo when the noun begins with s+consonant (eg sc, sp, st), or begins gn, pn, ps, x, y or z.
Feminine nouns take la or l’ (when the noun begins with a vowel).
Many masculine nouns end in o; many feminine nouns end in a. Both masculine and feminine nouns can end in e.
PLURAL
Unlike English, where you generally add letters (s or es) to make nouns plural, in Italian you change the final letter.
o > i (il posto > i posti)
a > e (la pizza > le pizze)
e > i (il padre, la madre > i padri, le madri)
Articles change as follows:
| masculine: | il > i | l’ > gli | lo > gli |
| feminine: | la > le | l’ > le |
Nouns that are imported into Italian (such as bar, computer, menù, sport) stay the same in the plural (pl inv). They are generally masculine:
il bar > i bar, il computer > i computer, il menù > i menù, lo sport > gli sport.
PLURAL SPELLING CHANGES
Most nouns ending -co, -ca, -go and -ga often require an h inserting in the plural to retain the hard ‘kuh’ and ‘guh’ sounds:
il parco > i parchi, la banca > le banche
il lago > i laghi, la targa > le targhe
Where spelling changes occur in the plural we have included the plural ending.
air travel
ESSENTIAL WORDS (masculine)
| un | aereo | plane |
| un | aeroplano | aeroplane |
| un | aeroporto | airport |
| un | agente di viaggio | travel agent |
| l’ | arrivo | arrival |
| il | bagaglio | luggage |
| il | bagaglio a mano | hand luggage |
| il | banco | desk |
| il | biglietto | ticket |
| il | carrello | trolley |
| il | check-in | check in |
| il | doganiere | customs officer |
| l’ | imbarco | boarding |
| il | noleggio auto | car hire |
| il | numero | number |
| un | orario | timetable |
| il | passaporto | passport |
| il | passeggero | passenger |
| il | prezzo del biglietto | fare |
| il | ritardo | delay |
| il | taxi (pl inv) | taxi |
| il | turista | tourist; holiday maker |
| il | viaggiatore | traveller |
| il | viaggio | trip |
| il | volo | flight |
USEFUL PHRASES
viaggiare in aereo to travel by plane
un biglietto di sola andata a one-way ticket
un biglietto di andata e ritorno a return ticket
prenotare un biglietto aereo to book a plane ticket
fare il check-in del bagaglio to check in luggage
l’aereo è decollato/atterrato the plane has taken off/landed
il tabellone degli arrivi/delle partenze the arrivals/departures board
il volo numero 776 proveniente da Roma/diretto a Roma flight number 776 from Rome/to Rome
ESSENTIAL WORDS (feminine)
| un’ | agente di viaggio | travel agent |
| la | borsa | bag |
| la | cancellazione | cancellation |
| la | carta d’identità | ID card |
| la | carta d’imbarco | boarding card |
| la | coincidenza | connection |
| la | dogana | customs |
| la | doganiera | customs officer |
| l’ | entrata | entrance |
| le | informazioni | information desk; information |
| la | partenza | departure |
| la | passeggera | passenger |
| la | prenotazione | reservation |
| la | tariffa | fare |
| le | toilette | toilets |
| la | turista | tourist; holiday maker |
| l’ | uscita | exit; gate |
| l’ | uscita d’emergenza | emergency exit |
| l’ | uscita d’imbarco | departure gate |
| la | valigia (pl -gie or -ge) | bag; suitcase |
| la | viaggiatrice | traveller |
USEFUL PHRASES
ho perso la coincidenza I missed my connection
ritirare la valigia to collect one’s luggage
“ritiro bagagli” “baggage reclaim”
passare per la dogana to go through customs
ho qualcosa da dichiarare I have something to declare
non ho niente da dichiarare I have nothing to declare
controllare il bagaglio to search the luggage
voli nazionali/internazionali domestic/international flights
IMPORTANT WORDS (masculine)
| il | biglietto elettronico | e-ticket |
| il | corridoio | aisle |
| un | elicottero | helicopter |
| il | finestrino | window |
| un | incidente aereo | plane crash |
| il | mal d’aria | airsickness |
| il | pilota | pilot |
USEFUL WORDS (masculine)
| un | assistente di volo | flight attendant |
| un | atterraggio | landing |
| i | comandi | controls |
| il | controllo di sicurezza | security check |
| il | controllore del traffico aereo | air-traffic controller |
| il | decollo | take-off |
| i | diritti di dogana | customs duty |
| un | equipaggio | crew |
| l’ | imbarco (pl -chi) | boarding |
| il | jumbo (pl inv) | jumbo jet |
| il | metal detector (pl inv) | metal detector |
| il | nastro trasportatore | carousel |
| un | orario | timetable |
| il | paracadute (pl inv) | parachute |
| il | posto (a sedere) | seat |
| il | radar (pl inv) | radar |
| il | reattore | jet engine |
| lo | scalo | stopover |
| lo | steward (pl inv) | steward |
| il | terminal (pl inv) | terminal |
| il | vuoto d’aria | air pocket |
USEFUL PHRASES
a bordo on board; “vietato fumare” “no smoking”
in ritardo delayed; in orario on time
“allacciare le cinture di sicurezza” “fasten your seat belts”
stiamo volando sopra Londra we are flying over London
ho la nausea I am feeling sick; fare un dirottamento aereo to hijack a plane
IMPORTANT WORDS (feminine)
| la | cintura di sicurezza | seat belt |
| la | durata | length; duration |
| la | mappa | map |
| la | sala d’imbarco | departure lounge |
| la | velocità (pl inv) | speed |
USEFUL WORDS (feminine)
| un’ | ala | wing |
| l’ | altezza | height |
| l’ | altitudine | altitude |
| un’ | assistente di volo | flight attendant |
| la | barriera del suono | sound barrier |
| un’ | elica (pl -che) | propeller |
| un’ | etichetta | label |
| la | hostess (pl inv) | air hostess |
| la | linea aerea | airline |
| la | pista (d’atterraggio) | runway |
| la | rivista | magazine |
| la | scala mobile | escalator |
| la | scatola nera | black box |
| la | torre di controllo | control tower |
| la | turbolenza | turbulence |
USEFUL PHRASES
“i passeggeri del volo AB251 con destinazione Roma sono pregati di procedere all’imbarco all’uscita 51” “flight AB251 to Rome now boarding at gate 51”
abbiamo fatto scalo a New York we stopped over in New York
un atterraggio d’emergenza an emergency landing
un atterraggio di fortuna a crash landing
animals
ESSENTIAL WORDS (masculine)
| un | agnello | lamb |
| un | animale | animal |
| il | bue (pl buoi) | ox |
| il | cane | dog |
| il | cavallo | horse |
| il | cinghiale | wild boar |
| il | coniglio | rabbit |
| il | criceto | hamster |
| il | cucciolo | puppy |
| un | elefante | elephant |
| il | gattino | kitten |
| il | gatto | cat |
| il | giardino zoologico | zoo |
| un | insetto | insect |
| il | leone | lion |
| il | maiale | pig |
| il | pelo | coat, hair |
| il | pesce | fish |
| il | topo | mouse |
| un | uccello | bird |
| il | vitello | calf |
| lo | zoo (pl inv) | zoo |
USEFUL PHRASES
mi piacciono i gatti, odio i serpenti, preferisco i cani I like cats, I hate snakes, I prefer dogs
in casa abbiamo 12 animali we have 12 pets in our house
non abbiamo animali in casa we have no pets in our house
gli animali selvatici wild animals
gli animali domestici pets
il bestiame livestock
mettere un animale in gabbia to put an animal in a cage
liberare un animale to set an animal free
ESSENTIAL WORDS (feminine)
| la | cagna | dog (female) |
| la | gatta | cat (female) |
| la | mucca (pl -che) | cow |
| la | pecora | ewe |
| la | pelliccia (pl -ce) | fur |
| la | scimmia | monkey |
| la | tartaruga (pl -ghe) | tortoise |
| la | tigre | tiger |
| la | volpe | fox |
IMPORTANT WORDS (feminine)
| la | caccia | hunting |
| la | coda | tail |
| la | gabbia | cage |
| la | zampa | paw |
USEFUL PHRASES
il cane abbaia the dog barks; ringhia it growls
il gatto miagola the cat miaows; fa le fusa it purrs
mi piace l’equitazione or andare a cavallo I like horse-riding
a cavallo on horseback
“attenti al cane” “beware of the dog”
“è vieteato introdurre cani” “no dogs allowed”
“a cuccia!” (to dog) “down!”
i diritti degli animali animal rights
andare a caccia to go hunting
USEFUL WORDS (masculine)
| un | artiglio | claw (of lion, tiger) |
| un | asino | donkey |
| il | cammello | camel |
| il | canguro | kangaroo |
| il | canile | kennel |
| il | caprone | billy goat |
| il | carapace | shell (of tortoise) |
| il | cervo | deer, stag |
| il | coccodrillo | crocodile |
| il | corno | horn |
| il | guinzaglio | dog lead |
| un | ippopotamo | hippopotamus |
| il | lupo | wolf |
| il | maiale | pig |
| il | marsupio | pouch (of kangaroo) |
| il | mulo | mule |
| il | muso | muzzle; snout |
| il | negozio di animali | pet shop |
| un | orso | bear |
| un | orso polare | polar bear |
| il | pipistrello | bat |
| il | pony (pl inv) | pony |
| il | porcellino d’india | guinea pig |
| il | puledro | foal |
| il | ratto | rat |
| il | riccio | hedgehog |
| il | rinoceronte | rhinoceros |
| il | rospo | toad |
| lo | scoiattolo | squirrel |
| il | serpente | snake |
| lo | squalo | shark |
| il | toro | bull |
| lo | zoccolo | hoof |
USEFUL WORDS (feminine)
| la | balena | whale |
| la | biscia (pl -sce) | snake |
| la | bocca (pl -che) | mouth |
| la | capra | (nanny) goat |
| la | cavalla | mare |
| la | cavia | guinea pig |
| la | cerva | doe |
| le | corna | antlers; horns |
| la | criniera | mane |
| la | foca (pl -che) | seal |
| la | giraffa | giraffe |
| la | gobba | hump (of camel) |
| la | leonessa | lioness |
| la | lepre | hare |
| la | lucertola | lizard |
| la | mula | mule |
| la | pelle | hide (of cow, elephant etc) |
| la | proboscide | trunk (of elephant) |
| la | rana | frog |
| le | strisce | stripes (of zebra) |
| la | talpa | mole |
| la | tigre | tigress |
| la | trappola | trap |
| la | vipera | viper; adder |
| la | volpe | fox |
| la | zanna | tusk |
| la | zebra | zebra |
bikes
ESSENTIAL WORDS (masculine)
| il | casco (pl -chi) | helmet |
| il | ciclismo | cycling |
| il | ciclista | cyclist |
| il | fanale | lamp |
| il | freno | brake |
IMPORTANT WORDS (masculine)
| il | pedale | pedal |
| il | sellino | saddle |
USEFUL WORDS (masculine)
| il | cambio | derailleur; gears |
| il | campanello | bell |
| il | catarifrangente | reflector |
| il | cestino | pannier |
| il | Giro d’Italia | Tour of Italy |
| il | kit (pl inv) per riparare le gomme | puncture repair kit |
| il | lucchetto | padlock |
| il | manubrio | handlebars |
| il | mozzo | hub |
| il | parafango (pl -ghi) | mudguard |
| il | portapacchi (pl inv) | carrier |
| il | raggio | spoke |
| il | telaio | frame |
| il | tubolare | tyre |
USEFUL PHRASES
andare in bici(cletta) to go by bike, to cycle
sono venuto in bici(cletta) I came by bike
pedalare to pedal
a tutta velocità at full speed
cambiare marcia to change gear
fermarsi to stop
frenare bruscamente to brake suddenly
ESSENTIAL WORDS (feminine)
| la | bici (pl inv) | bike |
| la | bicicletta | bicycle |
| la | ciclista | cyclist |
| la | city bike (pl inv) | city bike |
| la | mountain bike (pl inv) | mountain bike |
| la | sella | saddle |
IMPORTANT WORDS (feminine)
| la | camera d’aria | inner tube |
| la | discesa | descent |
| la | foratura | puncture |
| la | gomma | tyre |
| la | marcia (pl -ce) | gear |
| la | pista ciclabile | cycle lane |
| la | pompa | pump |
| la | ruota | wheel |
| la | salita | climb |
| la | velocità (pl inv) | speed |
USEFUL WORDS (feminine)
| la | caduta | fall |
| la | canna superiore | crossbar |
| la | catena | chain |
| la | cima | top (of hill) |
| la | dinamo (pl inv) | dynamo |
| la | luce anteriore | front light |
| la | valvola | valve |
USEFUL PHRASES
fare un giro in bici(cletta) to go for a bike ride
bucare to have a puncture
riparare una gomma to mend a puncture
la ruota anteriore/posteriore the front/back wheel
gonfiare le ruote to blow up the tyres
lucido(a) shiny
fluorescente fluorescent
birds
ESSENTIAL WORDS (masculine)
| il | cielo | sky |
| il | gallo | cock |
| il | pappagallino | budgie |
| il | pappagallo | parrot |
| il | tacchino | turkey |
| un | uccello | bird |
USEFUL WORDS (masculine)
| un | avvoltoio | vulture |
| il | becco (pl -chi) | beak |
| il | canarino | canary |
| il | cigno | swan |
| il | corvo | raven |
| il | cuculo | cuckoo |
| il | fagiano | pheasant |
| il | falcone | falcon |
| il | gabbiano | seagull |
| il | gallo cedrone | grouse |
| il | gufo | owl |
| il | martin pescatore | kingfisher |
| il | merlo | blackbird |
| il | nido | nest |
| il | passero | sparrow |
| il | pavone | peacock |
| il | pettirosso | robin |
| il | picchio | woodpecker |
| il | piccione | pigeon |
| il | pinguino | penguin |
| lo | scricciolo | wren |
| lo | storno | starling |
| lo | struzzo | ostrich |
| il | tordo | thrush |
| un | uccello rapace | bird of prey |
| un | uovo (pl f uova) | egg |
| un | usignolo | nightingale |
ESSENTIAL WORDS (feminine)
| un’ | ala | wing |
| un’ | anatra | duck |
| la | gallina | hen |
| un’ | oca (pl -che) | goose |
USEFUL WORDS (feminine)
| un’ | allodola | lark |
| un’ | aquila | eagle |
| la | cicogna | stork |
| la | cinciarella | bluetit |
| la | colomba | dove |
| la | gabbia | cage |
| l’ | influenza aviaria | bird flu |
| la | gazza | magpie |
| la | pernice | partridge |
| la | piuma | feather |
| la | quaglia | quail |
| la | rondine | swallow |
| la | taccola | jackdaw |
| le | uova | eggs |
USEFUL PHRASES
volare to fly
volare via to fly away
costruire un nido to build a nest
fischiare to whistle
cantare to sing
la gente li mette in gabbia people put them in cages
covare un uovo to sit on an egg
un uccello migratore a migratory bird
body
ESSENTIAL WORDS (masculine)
| il | braccio (pl f braccia) | arm |
| i | capelli | hair |
| il | corpo | body |
| il | cuore | heart |
| il | dente | tooth |
| il | dito (pl f dita) | finger |
| il | ginocchio (pl f ginocchia) | knee |
| il | naso | nose |
| un | occhio | eye |
| un | orecchio (pl f orecchie) | ear |
| il | pelo | hair |
| il | piede | foot |
| lo | stomaco | stomach |
| il | viso | face |
IMPORTANT WORDS (masculine)
| il | collo | neck |
| il | mento | chin |
| il | petto | chest; bust |
| il | pollice | thumb |
| il | sangue | blood |
| il | sopracciglio (pl f sopracciglia) | eyebrow |
USEFUL PHRASES
in piedi standing
seduto(a) sitting
disteso(a) lying
ESSENTIAL WORDS (feminine)
| la | bocca (pl -che) | mouth |
| le | braccia | arms |
| le | dita | fingers |
| la | gamba | leg |
| le | ginocchia | knees |
| la | gola | throat |
| la | mano (pl mani) | hand |
| la | narice | nostril |
| la | schiena | back |
| la | testa | head |
IMPORTANT WORDS (feminine)
| la | caviglia | ankle |
| la | faccia (pl -ce) | face |
| la | fronte | forehead |
| la | guancia (pl -ce) | cheek |
| la | lingua | tongue |
| le | orecchie | ears |
| la | pelle | skin |
| le | sopracciglia | eyebrows |
| la | spalla | shoulder |
| la | voce | voice |
USEFUL PHRASES
grande big
alto(a) tall
piccolo(a) small
basso(a) short
grasso(a) fat
magro(a) skinny
snello(a) slim
bello(a) beautiful; handsome
carino(a) pretty; cute
brutto(a) ugly
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