With Coffee Break Italian you can learn Italian where and when it suits you. In Season 1, you'll join teacher Mark, learner Katie and native speaker Francesca in our 15-minute lessons, and build your confidence in the language, learning Italian from scratch. Take your learning further with Season 2 in which Mark and Francesca are joined by learner Isla. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The verb 'fare' means "to do" or "to make", but it does far more work than that in Italian. In this episode, Francesca goes through seven common set phrases built on 'fare' where the natural English translation is a completely different verb, from talking about the weather to packing a suitcase, taking a photo and asking a question. Learn these and a lot of everyday Italian falls into place. ➡️…
Francesca takes a tour through the English words that have quietly become part of everyday Italian, from ordering food to talking about work, music, sport and travel. You'll hear just how naturally these words slot into Italian conversation, and pick up some handy vocabulary along the way. ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode . ➡️ Want more tips like these delivered straight to…
Some Italian words only make sense once you know exactly when to use them. In this episode, Francesca goes through the words you need for specific everyday situations, from "permesso" at the door to "pronto" on the phone, and the many meanings hiding inside "prego". In this episode you'll find some new words, and a few extra examples beyond what's in the video. ➡️ Click here to watch the video…
Italian is full of idioms that are borrowed from the kitchen, and once you spot them you'll notice them everywhere. In this episode Francesca takes you through 10 everyday food idioms, from someone who's "like parsley" and turns up everywhere to the moment an omelette is already made and the damage is done. She explains what each one really means and the kind of situation where it fits, then…
You probably already know that 'potere' means "can" or "to be able to", but there's more to this everyday Italian verb than meets the eye. In this episode, Francesca shares five things you might not know about 'potere', from using the conditional to sound more polite to meeting 'potere' as a noun, and she helps you tell it apart from 'riuscire' and 'sapere'. It completes her little series on the…
Pasta is the perfect way to practise some of Italian's trickiest sounds. In this episode, Francesca works through pasta names to help you get those gn, gl, ch and gh sounds right, with a few tasty facts thrown in along the way. ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode . ➡️ Get free mini-lessons and language tips every week by signing up to our newsletter:…
You probably already know that volere means "to want", but there are still a few secrets hiding in this everyday verb. In this episode, Francesca shares five interesting things to know about volere , from the tricky ' gl ' sound and using it as a noun to choosing between ho voluto and volevo in the past. How many of them are new to you? ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode . ➡️…
Francesca walks you through five tiny Italian words that come up in real conversations all the time: "allora", "dai", "boh", "figurati" and "magari". Each one carries a lot of meaning, and learning to use them naturally is one of the fastest ways to sound more Italian. Which one will you start using first? ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode. ➡️ To receive regular free…
Francesca goes beyond the textbook meaning of "dovere" and explores five nuances of this everyday Italian verb. You'll look at double conjugations, two different auxiliaries in the past tense, the less familiar meaning of "to owe", and the noun "il dovere". How many of these did you already know? ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode. ➡️ Love learning in short bursts? Our free…
Francesca walks you through five common mistakes that are easy to fix but make a real difference to how natural your Italian sounds. From choosing between "favorito" and "preferito" to understanding why Italians say "mi lavo i denti", these are practical changes you can start using straight away. ➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode. ➡️ Want more tips like these delivered…