UNIT%1.

1%Grammatica%

Greetings,and,Introductions,
SALUTI!E!PRESENTAZIONI!
!

Basic!greetings!

!
Ciao!(Hello%/%Goodbye)!! ! used!only!in!informal!situations!
!
Buongiorno!(Good%morning)!
Buonasera!(Good%evening)!!
used!in!formal!and!informal!situations!
Buonanotte!(Good%night)!
!
Arrivederci!(Goodbye)! ! used!in!formal!and!informal!situations!
ArrivederLa!(Goodbye)! ! used!only!in!formal!situations!
!
A!domani!(See%you%tomorrow)!
used!in!formal!and!informal!situations!
A!presto!(See%you%soon)!
!
Ci!vediamo!(See%you)!!! used!only!in!informal!situations!
!

Say!who!you!are!and!ask!someones!name!

!
To!state!your!name!in!Italian!say:!
!
Mi!chiamo!!
or!
Sono!!
!
Buongiorno,!mi!chiamo!Mirella!
Good%morning,%my%name%is%Mirella%
Sacchi.!
Sacchi.%
Piacere.!Sono!Gianni!Rossi.!
Nice%to%meet%you.%I%am%Gianni%Rossi.%
!
When!you!say!Mi!chiamo!you!are!literally!saying!I%call%myself!!
Sono!literally!means!I%am.!You!may!add!the!subject!pronoun!Io!(I)!for!emphasis:!
!
Io!mi!chiamo!Gianni!Rossi.!
Io!sono!Gianni!Rossi.!
%
!
To!ask!for!someones!name!you!say:!
!
(a)!Come!si!chiama?!! or!(b)!Come!ti!chiami?!
!
Question!(a)!is!formal!and!question!(b)!is!informal.!!
You!should!use!the!formal!address!with!people!you!dont!know!well!or!people!you!
know!well!but!to!whom!you!owe!respect!or!who!are!your!superiors!(i.e.!a!professor,!
your!boss,!anyone!in!a!position!of!authority).!

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!
You!should!use!the!informal!address!with!your!friends!and!relatives!and!with!
children.!Young!people!are!informal!among!themselves!even!if!they!dont!know!each!
other!well.!Older!people!may!be!formal!among!themselves!even!if!they!have!known!
each!other!for!many!years.!
!
The!subject!pronoun!used!to!address!someone!formally!is!Lei!(generally!
capitalized).!The!subject!pronoun!used!to!address!someone!informally!is!tu.!Subject!
pronouns!are!used!generally!only!for!emphasis!or!to!avoid!misunderstandings.!
!
Tu'come'ti'chiami?!or!Come'ti'chiami?! !
Lei'come'si'chiama?!or!Come'si'chiama?!
!
In!formal'situations,!you!address!someone!by!her/his!last!name!preceded!by!the!
following:!
'
!
Signor'
Mr.%
!
Signora'
Mrs.%/%Ms.%
!
Signorina'
Miss%
!
Dottore'
Doctor%(male)%
!
Dottoressa'
Doctor%(female)%
!
Professore'
Professor%(male)%
!
Professoressa'
Professor%(female)%
!
!
Heres!an!example!of!a!formal!exchange:!
!
Signora!Sacchi:!!
Buonasera,!mi'chiamo'Marta'Sacchi.'E!Lei'come'si'chiama?!
Good%evening,%my%name%is%Marta%Sacchi.%And%what%is%your%name?!!
!

Signor!Conti:!!!
!

Signora!Sacchi:!!
!

Signor!Conti:!!!
!

Signora!Sacchi:!!
! !
!
!

Signor!Conti:!!!
!
!
!

Buongiorno,'signora'Sacchi.'Mi'chiamo'Michele'Conti.!
Good%morning,%Mrs.%Sacchi.%My%name%is%Michele%Conti.%! !
Piacere,'signor'Conti!!
Pleased%to%meet%you,%Mr.%Conti!!
Molto'piacere!!
Very%pleased%to%meet%you!!
ArrivederLa.!
Goodbye%
ArrivederLa.!
Goodbye!

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!
Heres!an!example!of!an!informal!exchange:!
!
Gianni:!Ciao,!mi&chiamo&Gianni,&e&tu?&&
Hello,%my%name%is%Gianni,%and%yours?%
!
Mirella:!Sono&Mirella.&Piacere,&Gianni.!
I%am%Mirella.%Pleased%to%meet%you,%Gianni.%
!
Gianni:!Molto&piacere!!
Very%pleased%to%meet%you!%
!
Mirella:!Arrivederci.!
Goodbye%
!
Gianni:!Ciao,&Mirella!!!
Goodbye,%Mirella!%
&
!

Say&how&you&are:&formal&and&informal&ways(

To!ask!How%are%you?!Italians!use!the!verb!stare,!which!literally!means!to%stay.!
!
!
Come&stai?&&
How%are%you%(s.)?%(informal)&&
%
%
!
Come&sta?&
How%are%you%(s.)?%(formal)!
%
!
Come&va?&
How%is%it%going?%(informal)!
!
Possible!answers!are:!!
!
Sto&molto&bene.&
I%am%very%well.%
!
Molto&bene.&
%
Very%well.&
%
!
Sto&bene.&
I%am%fine.%
!
Bene.&
%
Fine.&
!
Sto&abbastanza&bene.&
I%am%quite%well.%
!
Abbastanza&bene.%
Quite%well.%
!
Cos&cos.&
So%so.%
!
Non&c&male.&
Not%bad.%
!
!
Heres!is!a!sample!of!a!mixed!conversation!(formal!and!informal):!
!
Buongiorno,!professoressa!Verdi,&come&
Good%morning,%Professor%Verdi,%how%are%
sta?&
you?%
Molto&bene,&grazie.&E!tu,!Emilia,!come&
Very%well,%thank%you.%And%you,%Emilia,%
stai?&
how%are%you?%
Bene,&grazie.&
Fine,%thank%you.%
Ciao,&Emilia,!a!presto.&
Bye,%Emilia,%see%you%soon.%
ArrivederLa,&professoressa!Verdi!&
Goodbye,%Professor%Verdi.%

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!
Heres!a!sample!of!an!informal!conversation:!
!
Ciao,!Giovanna,!come!va?!
Hi,%Giovanna,%how%is%it%going?%
Non!c!male,!grazie,!e!tu!come!
Not%bad,%thank%you,%and%how%are%
stai?!
you?%
Abbastanza!bene,!grazie.!!
Quite%well,%thank%you.%
Ora!devo!andare.!
Now%I%must%go.%
Ci!vediamo,!Giovanna.!
See%you,%Giovanna.%
A!domani,!Renata!!
See%you%tomorrow,%Renata!%

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