Italian sentence structure (word order)
Sign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for free Course informationsSign up for free to get all information about private lessons and our available group courses (A1, A2, B2, B2, C1, C2)
Sign up for free Course informationsWe offer both private lessons and organized group courses
Sign up for free to get all available courses or contact one of our teachers yourself!
Our offer
If you want to form a simple affirmative sentence, it's necessary to order three main elements first.
Simple affirmative sentence: Subject + Verb + Object
Italian | English |
---|---|
Marco guarda la televisione. | Marco is watching television. |
Il cantante saluta i fans. | The singer waves to the fans. |
L'albero è in giardino. | The tree is in the garden. |
Take online language lessons with a professional teacher
We can imagine other elements of the sentence as blocks. Each block has its own position.
Here's a recap of the possible spots in which you can collocate the linguistic elements you need.
(Adverb) | Subject (personal pronoun omittable) | Preposition + Information | Direct/Indirect/Reflexive pronoun | Verb | (Adverb) | [Adjective] | Direct object | [Adjective] | Indirect object | (Adverb) Complement | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Oggi) | Maria | / | mi | porta | / | / | un maglione | rosso | / | (Oggi) | Today Maria will bring me a red sweater. |
/ | (Tu) | / | / | sei | sempre | un grande | amico | / | per Laura. | / | You are always a great friend for Laura. |
/ | La mia amica Sara | / | / | è andata | / | / | / | / | al mare | / | My friend Sara went to the sea. |
Domani | (io) | / | ti | chiamerò | brevemente | / | / | / | / | alle cinque. | Tomorrow I will briefly call you at five. |
/ | Il regalo | del compleanno | / | era | / | blu e giallo | / | / | / | / | The birthday present was blue and yellow. |
Articles are used to point out a noun or other substantivized parts of speech.
Remember! Italian nouns are always introduced by an article (either determinate, indeterminate or partitive).
Unlike English, in most cases personal pronouns could be omitted because the conjungated verb clearly shows the subject of the sentence.
Italian | English |
---|---|
(Io) Vado a scuola. | I go to school. |
(Noi) Mangiamo della pasta. | We eat some pasta. |
(Loro) Cantano molto forte. | They are singing very loudly. |
Direct and indirect object pronouns substitute another elment; reflexive pronouns stress that the action is carried out by the subject itself.
Pronouns: Subject/(Personal pronoun) + Direct/Indirect/Reflexive pronoun + Verb + Rest of the sentence
Italian | English |
---|---|
Io ti vedo. | I see you. |
Maria si lava i capelli. | Maria washes her hair. |
Mario la ama. | Mario loves her. |
Indirect object pronouns generally precede direct object pronouns.
Direct and indirect object pronouns: Subject/(Personal pronoun) + Indirect object pronouns + Direct object pronoun + Rest of the sentence
Italian | English |
---|---|
Il negozio te lo regala. | The store will gift it to you. |
Me la presteranno. | They will lend it to me. |
Te le restituirò. | I will give them back to you. |
In Italian sentences, direct objects precede indirect objects.
Direct and indirect objects: Subject/(Personal pronoun) + Verb + Direct object + Indirect object
Italian | English |
---|---|
Mario dà un libro a suo fratello. | Mario gives a book to his brother. |
La segretaria chiama un taxi al direttore. | The secretary calls the director a taxi. |
Michel regala una bici a suo figlio. | Michel gives a bike to his son. |
Unlike English, adjectives generally follow the noun they refer to.
Italian | English |
---|---|
Un maglione rosso | A red sweater |
Un libro noioso | A boring book |
Dei ragazzi interessanti | Some interesting guys |
Remember! Adjectives must always agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
Adjectives can also precede the noun, and, in this case, the meaning conveyed is completely different.
This happens with adjectives such as: Buono (Good), Grande (Big), Bravo (Good), Vecchio (Old).
Noun + Adjective | Adjective + Noun |
---|---|
Un amico vecchio (A friend who is old) | Un vecchio amico (An old friend) |
Un uomo grande (A big man, in size) | Un grande uomo (An important man) |
Possessive adjectives help specify a possession. They agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.
Possessive adjective: Article + Possessive adjective + Noun + Rest of the sentence
Italian | English |
---|---|
La mia macchina è rotta. | My car is broken. |
Il suo accento è strano. | His accent is weird. |
I nostri zii sono arrivati. | Our uncles are here. |
Simple and articulated prepositions are used to introduce a quality, a possession, a location or direction of a noun or verb; they are usually placed after the element they refer to.
Prepositions: Subject/(Personal pronoun) + (Preposition + Information) + Verb + (Preposition + Information) + Rest of the sentence
Check out the following examples.
Italian | English |
---|---|
La casa di Maria è grande. | Maria's house is big. |
(Io) Viaggio da Roma a Parigi. | I travel from Rome to Paris. |
Adverbs generally add a piece of information about the main verb.
Adverbs: (Adverb) + Subject/(Personal pronoun) + Verb + (Adverb) + Rest of the sentence + (Adverb)
Adverbs of manner/ending in -mente: Subject/(Personal pronoun) + Verb + Adverb + Rest of the sentence
Italian | English |
---|---|
Luigi mangia velocemente. | Luigi eats quickly. |
Il cane cammina tranquillamente. | The dog walks calmly. |
Lui parlava chiaramente. | He was speaking in a clear way. |
Adverbs of place, time and frequency, quantity: (Adverb) + Subject/(Personal pronoun) + Verb + (Adverb) + Rest of the sentence + (Adverb)
These adverbs can go right after the verb as well as at the beginning or at the end of a sentence; it depends on the communicative intention.
Italian | English |
---|---|
Domani (io) andrò al mare. | Tomorrow I'll go to the sea. |
(Io) Ho preparato la cena stamattina. | I made dinner this morning. |
(Tu) Non ascolti mai la musica punk. | You never listen to punk music. |
Unlike in other platforms, all our teachers are manually verified by our professional team. Trust in the experiences of our students.
Hi! I have been teaching Italian for several years and I offer Italian lessons for all levels and all ages. In my lessons I often use ad hoc didactized Italian movies and songs, to bring students closer to the authentic language and culture and I always try to stimulate interest in literature. I try to start each lesson with a motivating lexical activization and then to analyze in detail the text (video, audio, written, oral) to face also some grammatical or cultural aspects. I always try to make the lessons fun using even educational games. I’m avaible for individual and group lessons and exam preparation.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Serena is really good teacher. I like it to learn with her. We have very good conversations in different themes like italian food, sports, italian and german culture, politics and the real life. This is a good way to learn how to speak italian in a natural way. Not to forget, she is very authenticly and funny :-)
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Elena was friendly and encouraging and gave me good advice about preparing for my Italian language exam. I am looking forward to more lessons with her :)
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello my name is Lucia and I am a native Italian speaker.
I have a degree as an interpreter for English and French so I know how hard it may be to learn a foreign language. I work as a free-lance interpreter and private English and French teacher. I have a strong passion for languages which I have been studying for many years. I am studying Spanish now and always trying to improve my English and French knowledge. I am a friendly person and my lessons mainly focus on conversation. As a teacher I am very patient and I always propose tailor-made lessons with respect to your needs. I am really enthusiastic about being a teacher because this activity allows you to share your culture and habits with foreign people. Learning a language is also learning a new culture.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Lucia is a very engaging and sympathetic teacher. And although we have only done a couple of lessons we are feeling much more confident about the possibility of being able to converse in Italian. Thank you Lucia!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
My name is Mara, I took a Master's in Foreign Languages and Translation (English and German) and then I started working as a Teacher to kids and adults. Since my students are aged between 1 and 69 years old, I developed 3 different methods:
1. Fluency - for intermediate/upper intermediate students, mainly based on listening and speaking; specific topics.
2. TPR - total physical response, all levels, mainly based on activities, role plays and board games.
3. Traditional - all levels, grammar, listening, speaking and writing/reading with a traditional approach
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Mara is an experienced teach who is passionate about teaching English to people of all ages. I recommend her to anyone
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
I am a private teacher in English, German and Italian. I am a Master's graduate in Translation and Interpreting at the University of Genoa, Italy. I am Italian native speaker. I know English and German at C2 level and Russian at B2 level.
I have been studying English for the last 15 years, first at school and then at the university and I have improved it on my frequent stays abroad. I have now been teaching English for 4 years, first to school children and teenagers and now adults too. I have experience teaching online and at home. I also have taught group classes.
Being fluent in several languages allows me to give students further explainations in their native language when needed. This also allows me to put myself in my students' shoes and understand better their difficulties. I try to meet the student's personal needs and objectives rather than impose my standard class.
During my classes I focus on the active skills of language, speaking and writing. I often ask students to do presentations so they practice writing and speaking at once. I strongly encourage self-studying along with frontal teaching in order to considerably shorten learning time. Homework is for me as important as frontal classes. If needed, I can provide students with textbooks and online material such as videos, news, songs and textes.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Federico is an exceptional teacher. He is patient, knowledgable and makes learning much less stressful. In the short time I've been working with him I feel that my Italian has grown so much faster. He has so many resources to share with his students and helps to coach me through the difficult parts of language learning! I highly recommend him to anyone wanted to learn Italian, it is truly a wonderful experience.
Federico C.Thank you Dan for the great review! A student like you makes everything easier. I hope to continue like that!
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hi, guys! My name is Lucia and I would like to invite you to learn Italian with me.
I am both a native speaker and a QUALIFIED teacher, as I hold a post-graduate degree in “Teaching Italian as a second language” and a national certification as teacher of Italian to not-native speaking.
My teaching method is COMMUNICATION-oriented and involves also the study of Italian culture and grammar. Indeed, as it happens in your mother language, the knowledge of spare words is not enough to get able to speak (i.e. INTERACT!) properly and conveniently.
I’ll prepare for you all teaching materials, tailoring lessons to your needs and interests, taking advantage from both the huge number of textbooks I hold and my creativity!
I offer lessons for all levels, from absolute beginners to advanced, as well as support in preparation to certification exams (I am also qualified ad examiner for the oral part of CELI).
Do not hesitate to get in contact with me to find a suitable time-slot for your trial lesson!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Wonderful teacher with a broad knowledge of the structures of various languages, which I think helps to better understand students’ needs depending on their native language. Lucia uses a sophisticated platform where a student can easily find all the materials, test, or ask questions in the preparation for the next class. The class is structured in a very entertaining way, and she also has an examination focused approach if needed. Great experience, totally recommend.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Welcome to my profile!
My name is Daniela, or “Daniella” as my students call me.
I have been working as Italian teacher for two years to migrants, for refugee centers and humanitarian corridors in Italy. I have had experience with first literacy and also I have worked with begginers and intermidiate students, who I prepared to Linguistic Certification. I have worked with single student and with groups.
My opinion is “Viva l’intercultura”, that means looking at the person’s linguistic needs. Italian lessons become a space where the cultures meet and match each other, and step by step, the student can build the Italian language. For me, the cultures exchange is very important.
I’d rather to teach with an inductive, interactive, and cooperative method, which focus on communication functions, but doesn’t forget the grammar. I use manuals, worksheets, interactive games, songs and video.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Daniela is an engaging teacher who takes seriously her job. She has a solid knowledge of the Italian grammar as well as fun ideas to teach it. I'm preparing an exam and she is being quite helpful to me, since she takes the time to prepare lessons and homework. I highly recommend to book a trial lesson with her.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello,
I am a multilingual teacher with experience in teaching French to German, Japanese, English, Bulgarian and Italian-speaking students, etc. (levels A1 to C1).
I have been teaching French for 8 years in Luxemburg and now in Bulgaria for 4 years, to teenagers, housewives, businessmen, employees, doctors, etc. I can also help you with DELF and DALF preparation. I give lessons via Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams in several countries.
My teaching method for each class : a grammar point together with listening, a lot of speaking with conversation questions or games. While you speak, I write all the new words you need to express yourself, illustrated by pictures or translated in your language.
I do my best to make you feel comfortable to speak and for you to have a pleasant time. According to me, using humour will help you learn more easily.
Whether you need to learn French for business, integration in a French-speaking country or studying, I will be happy to help you. Do not hesitate to contact me for a free trial lesson.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Katia
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Katia is a very sweet person, her pronunciation is BEAUTIFUL and she’s very knowledgeable. I loved my lessons with her. I highly recommend her
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Daniela is a well skilled teacher with patience and a great personality, always joyful and happy. She understands my needs well and the lessons are tailored to give me a good learning experience. The lessons are always a good combination of speaking, reading and grammar. Daniela is always flexible when I need to change the schedule. I can highly recommend choosing Daniela. You'll for sure have a fun learning experience with her.
Daniela V.Thanks so much for your words, Wouter! I am very happy that you feel comfortable with the lessons together and I hope to help you grow more and more. You are doing a great job. Keep it up! :-D
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hi!
My name is Mariateresa, I'm Italian and I teach English, Italian and Spanish to foreign students.
Having lived in Spain during my last year at University, I moved to the UK, where I lived for the next five years. My English at that time was quite poor and I made a living by doing various jobs.
One day, inspired by my amazing English teacher Mandy, I had an idea: why not teach my native language and Spanish to English people and other nationalities? You wouldn’t believe how fascinated people are by these languages!
It was in 2017 when I fell in love with this job. So much so that one year later I successfully attained a TESOL Certificate, to teach English as a foreign language.
Teaching allows me to fully express myself and my personal qualities, such as patience and an ability to give my full attention to other people. By giving students a space in which to express themselves without fear, I create a safe, non-judgemental environment.
When a new student contacts me I always offer them a free trial lesson, so that we can introduce ourselves and I can get to know their level, interests and needs. It's from there that I create the ensuing lessons.
I provide students with a solid grammar base, but also help them to understand the application and use of the language in everyday life. At the same time, I tailor the lesson to suit the students' main interests – such as grammar, speaking, pronunciation, writing or exam preparation. I teach students of different levels, from beginners to advanced.
Although I love teaching in-person, I have adapted myself to teaching online as well. I have also completed a Teaching English Online course offered by Cambridge University. I have to admit that it's a really effective method, plus you meet people from all over the world!
Having lived abroad for several years I know that learning a foreign language requires time, but it's also fun. By speaking in it we can express hidden parts of ourselves – it's a bit like acting!
You can also assimilate the culture from which the language evolves. It's interesting to see how we can change and develop!
My aim is to transmit to students the idea that nothing is impossible. Learning a language is challenging, but entirely achievable if you keep in mind that it's a journey made of small steps.
What is important is to establish those small objectives every day, and reach them with calm determination.
Like a tracker counts the steps that you walk, put on your “count-words tracker” and you'll be surprised at how much you have learned by the end of the day!
For more information visit:
https://campsite.bio/mariateresa.medici
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Maria, was very helpful. I was a bit of a challenging case and so she had to modify her teaching program on the fly and did so with competence.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello German learner! I am a dedicated teacher for DaF (German as a foreign language) studying and working in Germany. I have already gained teaching experience with different age groups and nationalities while teaching German in various language schools.
Currently, I'm doing my second studies in German, English, and Teaching at the University of Bonn. (I already got my Master's Degree in German and Literature). Besides, I teach in a local language school as well as tutor students online on Colanguage.
In my free time, I learn French and Dutch and hope to become a true polyglot one day :)
So as you can see, I'm all into languages and love my profession as a teacher!
I can help you learn general German, develop your communicational skills as well as prepare you for language tests (Goethe Zertifikat, Telc, etc).
Just book a trial lesson with me and we'll find out which course is right for you.
See you soon
Anush
PS. IMPORTANT! Currently, I only work with adults aged 18 and over - so NO courses for children, sorry.
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hranush is a teacher with a lot of experience in teaching German. She has many materials and is well-structured!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Hello everyone!
ABOUT ME
I was born and have grown up in Johannesburg, South Africa. I am passionate about football, traveling ( who isn't ! ), and reading books that make me want to stay indoors and read all day! But I have many interests and the most exciting thing is getting a chance to talk to you about all of them and finding out about your interests too. This is one way we will practice your English skills and together we will set goals and aims to make you perfect in English.
ME AS A TEACHER
I have completed the 120 hour CELTA course, including six hours’ assessed teaching practice at two different levels. This is in addition to my Bachelor of Arts and Higher Diploma in Education qualifications.
I have taught student's in classrooms from Johannesburg, to London and Athens from as young as 13 right up to adults. This included business people and corporate individuals such as bankers. I am excellent at teaching from pre-intermediate to proficiency and with my business background, I am ready to help with Business English. In addition, I can greatly help with any exam preparation for IELTS, TOEFL, and TOEIC.
MY LESSONS & TEACHING STYLE
I teach because it has always been the one thing I am most passionate about. It’s this very feeling and passion that helps me create lessons that are well prepared, with a focus on short term and long terms goals and lessons that we will do as a team. I do believe strongly that any teaching is done as a partnership.
I do this through lessons that are creative, fun, interesting, and engaging - which means I get to hear what your thoughts and opinions are. So I will build a personal course for you based on using your interests, passions, and needs to create our study material. Lessons will always be focused on exactly what you need to learn to improve your skills and learn to speak like a native!
Reviews
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials
Angelo is competent, funny and a really good teacher. I totally recommend him to everyone who wants to be taught in English professionally. His lessons are extremely well structured and adjusted individually.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
Review
Teaching methodology
Communication
Punctuality
Internet connection
Learning materials