Seasons, months and parts of the year
Stagioni, mesi e parti dell'anno
- Learn the seasons and months.
- Describe the weather in each season and month.
- Advanced: tell what you do in what month of the year.
- Stare per + infinitive
Learn how to talk about seasons (l'inverno, la primavera) and months (gennaio, dicembre) in Italian, using "stare per" + infinitive to express imminent actions like "Sto per partire".
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (20) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the words into two categories: seasons and months, to help you better memorize the vocabulary of the year.
Le stagioni
I mesi
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Febbraio
February
2
Marzo
March
3
Andare
To go
4
La primavera
The spring
5
Ottobre
October
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Can you name the seasons and months? (Can you name the seasons and months?)
- What is the weather like in each season? (What is the weather like in each season?)
- Which months are in each season? (Which months are in each season?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Ci sono tre mesi in estate: giugno, luglio e agosto. There are three months in summer: June, July, and August. |
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In estate fa caldo. In summer it is hot. |
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Settembre, ottobre e novembre sono in autunno, e spesso piove. September, October, and November are in autumn, and it often rains. |
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Dicembre, gennaio e febbraio sono i mesi invernali. December, January and February are the winter months. |
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Nei mesi invernali a volte nevica. In the winter months it snows sometimes. |
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Marzo, aprile e maggio sono i mesi primaverili e il tempo è fresco. March, April and May are the spring months and the weather is fresh. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. In aprile, io ___ per andare al mare perché preferisco il clima dell'estate.
(In April, I ___ am about to go to the sea because I prefer the summer climate.)2. Tu ___ per cambiare casa a giugno, quando le giornate diventano più lunghe.
(You ___ are about to change house in June, when the days become longer.)3. Loro ___ per partire per le vacanze in agosto, la stagione più calda in Italia.
(They ___ are about to leave for vacation in August, the hottest season in Italy.)4. Noi ___ per visitare le montagne in dicembre, quando sta per arrivare l'inverno.
(We ___ are about to visit the mountains in December, when winter is about to arrive.)Exercise 8: Getting Ready for Summer in Italy
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Preferire - Preferire
Presente
- io preferisco
- tu preferisci
- lui/lei preferisce
- noi preferiamo
- voi preferite
- loro preferiscono
Andare - Andare
Presente
- io vado
- tu vai
- lui/lei va
- noi andiamo
- voi andate
- loro vanno
Stare - Stare
Presente
- io sto
- tu stai
- lui/lei sta
- noi stiamo
- voi state
- loro stanno
Exercise 9: Stare per + infinito
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Stare per + infinitive
Show translation Show answerssta, stanno, stiamo, stai, Sta, sto
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Preferire to prefer Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) preferisco | I prefer |
| (tu) preferisci | You prefer |
| (lui/lei) preferisce | he/she prefers |
| (noi) preferiamo | we prefer |
| (voi) preferite | you prefer |
| (loro) preferiscono | they prefer |
Andare to go Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) vado | I go |
| (tu) vai | You go |
| (lui/lei) va | he/she goes |
| (noi) andiamo | we go |
| (voi) andate | You go |
| (loro) vanno | they go |
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Seasons, Months and Parts of the Year in Italian
This lesson introduces you to essential vocabulary and expressions to talk about the seasons, months, and typical weather or activities during different times of the year in Italian. You will also learn how to use the phrase "stare per" + infinitive to discuss actions that are about to happen, which is very useful for describing plans and upcoming events related to the calendar.
Key Vocabulary: Seasons and Months
In Italian, the four main seasons are:
- l'inverno (winter)
- la primavera (spring)
- l'estate (summer)
- l'autunno (autumn/fall)
Some important months you will practice are:
- gennaio (January)
- aprile (April)
- agosto (August)
- dicembre (December)
Using "stare per" + infinitive
The construction "stare per" + infinitive is used to express something that is about to happen soon. For example:
- Io sto per andare al mare a luglio. (I am about to go to the sea in July.)
- A dicembre stiamo per festeggiare Natale. (In December, we are about to celebrate Christmas.)
Talking About Weather and Personal Plans
Typical descriptions of the seasons often include weather changes, such as:
- In autunno il tempo diventa più fresco e spesso piove. (In autumn the weather becomes cooler and it often rains.)
- In inverno fa molto freddo e spesso nevica. (In winter it is very cold and often snows.)
You will also learn dialogues useful for discussing your favorite seasons and plans related to specific months, applying phrases like "sto per" to talk about upcoming events.
Verb Conjugations to Know
Key verbs in this lesson are:
- stare (to be/stay), used here for the imminent action construction
- preferire (to prefer)
- andare (to go)
Example conjugation of stare in present tense:
- io sto
- tu stai
- lui/lei sta
- noi stiamo
- voi state
- loro stanno
Instruction Language vs Italian
Since the instruction language is English and the learning language is Italian, this lesson highlights differences such as the Italian use of definite articles with seasons (l'estate, l'inverno) whereas English uses seasons without them. Additionally, the Italian phrase "stare per" + infinitive does not have a direct equivalent in English, but translates as "to be about to" do something, expressing imminent actions that English speakers commonly express with "going to" or "about to." This construction is particularly useful in everyday conversation about plans.
Useful phrases:
- Sto per partire. (I am about to leave.)
- A settembre iniziamo la scuola. (In September, we start school.)
- La primavera è la mia stagione preferita. (Spring is my favorite season.)
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