LearnItalianPod

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – One of the things that caught our attention while reviewing a long list of Italian sayings is how many of them, and surely some of the most famous ones, are made up using animal names. “Pulce” (flea), “mosca” (fly), “cane” (dog), “gatto” (cat), “elefante” (elephant), and “lupo” (wolf) are only few examples of animals that are used in popular Italian expressions. So, let’s get ready to learn some great, “real-life” Italian sayings that you won’t find in books: these are idiomatic expressions that Italians use all the times in their everyday lives. The 12 Italian sayings you’re about to hear will greatly improve your vocabulary, comprehension of Italian, and understanding of Italian culture. Welcome to the (Italian) animal kingdom, everyone! [How Would You Say It: Action Words – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: Action Words“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and get ready for some (Italian) action! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #29

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Some says that the only two things you need when visiting Italy are “stomaco vuoto” (an empty stomach), and “un grande appetito” (a big appetite). It is a very well known fact that Italian meals can be long multi-course affairs, particularly when visiting, staying with a family, or celebrating any events. Yes, Italians love long meals, and it’s definitely not by chance that Italian cuisine is considered “una delle migliori cucine del mondo” (one of the best cuisines in the world). — So, let’s have a lot of fun by reverse-engineering, course by course, a classic big Italian meal, all the while learning and practicing a lot of very useful Italian words, sentences, and grammar rules that are sure to make your Italian better. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: Describing Personalities – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: Describing Personalities“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and answer the question: “What (Italian) personality are you?”. 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #28

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – This time, get ready for something special as we’re going to finally answer, once and for all, to an enigma that has bothered mankind forever, and we’re going to do it while learning a lot of useful Italian. Here’s the question: “e’ nato prima l’uovo o la gallina?” (in English: “which came first, the egg or the hen?”). A team of scientists seems to have found the answer to this challenging question, and we are going to share the news with you. So, let’s have a lot of fun by solving a timeless mystery, all the while learning and practicing a lot of very useful Italian words, sentences, and grammar rules that are sure to make your Italian better. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: Getting Married – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: Getting Married“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and get ready for “The Big Italian Wedding”! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #27

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – “Carosello” (in English: “Carousel” or “Merry-Go-Round”), was a very famous ten-minute advertising program broadcasted every evening from 8:50 to 9:00 PM on Italian national TV, and it ran for twenty years straight from the late Fifties until the late Seventies. “Carosello” was a huge success and, for generations of Italian kids, the end of a Carosello episode marked the time to go to bed. So, let’s learn about one of the most famous Italian cultural icons ever, “Carosello”, all while learning and practicing a lot of very useful Italian words, sentences, and grammar rules that are sure to make your Italian better. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: Politics – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: Politics“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and get ready for some serious (Italian) political talking! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #26

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod. Episode #30 of the “Upper-Intermediate Level Series” is entitled “The Best Summer Vacation Ever”. Summertime, time for vacation! For those visiting Italy, there’s a wealth of choice of things to do and to see. Sea, mountain, cities, monuments, art, and food are just some of the many Italian attractions. So, let’s celebrate summertime in Italy by following a conversation between Jane and her Australian friend Tony, who’s asking her for advice on what to do and where to go on his trip to Italy. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: At The Border – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: At The Border“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and get ready to cross the Italian border for the vacation of a lifetime!

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Several VIP Members (thank you Luis, Sandra, and Carmen) have requested that we dedicate a lesson to the hugely common Italian little words “NE” and “CI”. Just listen to two native Italians speaking and good chances are you will hear the two little words “NE” and “CI” repeated several times. – “NE” and “CI” are called “idiomatic” words because, even if they act as pronouns, they are particular to the Italian language and cannot be translated literally – and yes, they are a “must-know”! So, let’s learn, once and for all, everything we need to know about these two super important words and let’s practice a lot of very useful Italian words, sentences, and grammar rules that are sure to make your Italian better. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: At The Photo Shop – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: At The Photo Shop“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and don’t forget your camera to immortalize your best (Italian) memories! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #25

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – This time, let’s talk about love! – LearnItalianPod VIP Member Carolina, who is from New York but studies in Verona, Italy, sent us a terrific email. – She says: “Every day on my way to school I pass by the most famous balcony in the world: Juliet’s balcony. It is usually crowded by visitors from all over the world who stop there to celebrate the supreme symbol of romantic love”. “What I didn’t know is that in Verona there is the “Juliet Club”, formed by a group of volunteers that have the not so easy task to reply to the thousands of love letters that Juliet still receives every year. – As soon as I learned about the Juliet Club, I said to myself: ‘This is the perfect idea for a LearnItalianPod lesson!’ – Am I right, Jane and Massimo?” Carolina, you are 100% right and this is a super suggestion, thank you! — So, let’s celebrate love, Juliet, and the secretaries of the Juliet Club by learning and practicing a lot of very useful Italian words, sentences, and grammar rules that are sure to make your Italian better. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: Jewelry – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: Jewelry“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and learn everythign about (Italian) jewelry! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #24

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – We have said several times how important it is to learn and practice verbs and it is a known fact that your knowledge of verbs will truly determine your real level of Italian language. So today, let’s have fun by learning and practicing three super important Italian verbs together with a lot of useful, ready-to-use sentences and expressions. – The three verbs are the so-called “modal verbs” or “helping verbs”: volere (to want), potere (can), and dovere (must, to have to). – These verbs have different meanings when used in different tenses and you absolutely must know how to properly use them in order to be able to understand and speak “la bella lingua”… so, let’s get to work! [How Would You Say It: The Days of The Week – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: The Days of The Week“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #23

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – VIP Member Giuseppe from Atlanta, Georgia sent us one of the most unusual emails that we have ever received. He says: “My good friend Tom and I are going to be leaving for Italy in a couple of weeks for the trip of a lifetime. – We’re both single and, of course, we’d love to be able to meet women when in Italy, and who knows, maybe have a little romance…” – Then he adds: “Thanks to LearnItalianPod, we both speak some Italian… but what we really need now are some pickup lines we can use to meet and start flirting with Italian women. – Can you help us, Jane and Massimo?” Giuseppe, this is truly a tough one! But no worries, we love the challenge! – So, after doing some research and asking a few Italian friends, here they are… “10 Pickup Lines That Work”. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: The Names of the Stores – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: The Names of the Stores“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and get ready for some serious shopping! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #22

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com — VIP Member Luna sent us some great feedback. She says: “If there’s one word in the Italian language that’s truly used everywhere, that is the small word “che”… and what makes it interesting (and somewhat confusing!), is that this small little word can have several different functions within a sentence. – So, Jane & Massimo, why don’t you tell us once and for all everything we need to know about this ubiquitous word?” Luna, you asked, we listened! Let’s learn how to use the important word “che” and let’s practice a lot of useful, ready-to-use example sentences. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: Fruits & Veggies – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: Fruits & Veggies“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and live a healthier lifestyle… the Italian way! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #21

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Episode #20 of LearnItalianPod “5 Minutes A Day” lesson series is now live! This one is entitled “15 Slang Expressions Only Real Italians Use”. This time, we’re going to do something different… oh, and you’re going to love this one! – Get ready to learn some Italian slang you won’t find in books: these are colloquial words or expressions that Italians, both male and female, use all the times in their everyday lives. The 15 Italian slang words or expressions you’re about to hear will greatly improve your vocabulary, comprehension of Italian, and understanding of Italian culture. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: At The Beach – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: At The Beach“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and get ready for the (Italian) summer! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #20

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Episode #19 of LearnItalianPod “5 Minutes A Day” lesson series is now live! This one is entitled “Travel Survival #2: Transportation”. According to all the positive feedback received, it looks like you really enjoyed our first “travel survival” episode last week, and that made us really happy… again, thanks to each and everyone of you! Today, let’s again get into “travel survival mode” and let’s practice a lot of useful, ready-to-use Italian words, sentences, and expressions that you can use in many different occasions when needing transportation while in Italy: autobus (bus), treno (train), taxi (taxi)… you name it, we are covering it on this episode. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: The Name of The Months – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: The Name of The Months“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #19

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Episode #18 of LearnItalianPod “5 Minutes A Day” lesson series is now live! This one is entitled “Travel Survival #1: Sightseeing”. This time, get ready to go into “travel survival mode” and to do a lot of practice! LearnItalianPod VIP Member Olivia gave us a great idea. She said: “How about a lesson dedicated to people about to go visit Italy, a lesson where we can all learn and practice some basic, “must-know” sentences so we can better enjoy our fun activities in Italy, like taking an excursion, sightseeing a city, hiring a guide, going to a museum, and so on?” Olivia, we loved your idea so much – thank you! — So, here it is: “Travel Survival #1: Sightseeing”. On this lesson you’ll find a lot of useful, ready-to-use Italian words, sentences, and expressions that you can use in many different occasions while touring and enjoying beautiful Italy. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: To Be vs. To Have – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: To Be vs. To Have“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. Practice this, and finally master those irregular Italian verbs! 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #18

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Episode #17 of LearnItalianPod “5 Minutes A Day” lesson series is now live! This one is entitled “Mom Is Always Mom”. Like in many other countries, on May 9th 2010 Italians celebrate “Mother’s Day”, and, sure as sunrise, this is a very important day in Italy: in fact, Italians truly love their moms (we’re sure you know this already!) and they love to celebrate their mother’s day in a big way! So, let’s celebrate “Mother’s Day” the Italian way, by learning and practicing a collection of famous greetings that Italians use year after year to celebrate their moms! On this lesson you’ll definitely find a lot of useful, ready-to-use Italian words, sentences, and expressions that you can use in many different occasions. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: The World and The Universe – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: The World and The Universe“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #17

Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod.com – Episode #16 of LearnItalianPod “5 Minutes A Day” lesson series is now live! This one is entitled “Seven Steps To Happiness”. VIP Member Gianni, who is from Las Vegas, Nevada but who lives in Italy in the beautiful city of Venice, sent us a wonderful email. – He says that an old Venetian fisherman has given him the “Seven Steps To Happiness”, and that he wants to share them with us. — We liked those seven steps so much that now we are going to share them with all of you. So, let’s learn and practice a lot of useful, ready-to-use Italian words, sentences, and expressions by listening to the recipe for happiness from an old Venetian fisherman. Enjoy! [How Would You Say It: At The Zoo – LearnItalianPod VIP Members Extra Bonus!] Login to the Learning Center to find, as a special extra bonus, a super useful audio file with PDF transcript entitled “How Would You Say It: At The Zoo“, a terrific way to test and improve your knowledge of Italian by translating words and sentences on the fly. 5 Minutes A Day – Episode #16