Body parts
Parti del corpo
- Get to know the basic body parts.
- Basic phrases to describe your health.
- The plural of nouns
Learn Italian vocabulary for body parts like la testa, le mani, gli occhi, and important verbs such as descrivere and chiedere to talk about physical sensations and health in daily conversations.
Vocabulary (17) 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: Divide the following words into two categories: «Visible external body parts» and «Body parts used for activities».
Parti del corpo visibili esterne
Parti del corpo usate per le attività
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Gli occhi
The eyes
2
Descrivere
To describe
3
I piedi
The feet
4
Il collo
The neck
5
Il naso
The nose
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Name the bodyparts. (Name the bodyparts.)
- Describe where it hurts. (Describe where it hurts.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Un piede ha cinque dita. A foot has five toes. |
|
La testa ha occhi, orecchie, un naso e una bocca. The head has eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth. |
|
Mi fa male il collo. My neck hurts. |
|
La schiena è collegata al collo. The back is connected with the neck. |
| ... |
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. Io _____ la mia giornata e parlo delle parti del corpo che uso.
(I _____ my day and talk about the parts of the body that I use.)2. Tu _____ il mal di testa che senti.
(You _____ the headache you feel.)3. Lui _____ i dolori alle gambe dopo una giornata di lavoro.
(He _____ the leg pains after a day of work.)4. Noi _____ come ci sentiamo alla fine di una giornata intensa.
(We _____ how we feel at the end of an intense day.)Exercise 8: A Visit to the Doctor
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Descrivere - Describe
Presente
- io descrivo
- tu descrivi
- lui/lei descrive
- noi descriviamo
- voi descrivete
- loro descrivono
Chiedere - Ask
Presente
- io chiedo
- tu chiedi
- lui/lei chiede
- noi chiediamo
- voi chiedete
- loro chiedono
Rispondere - Answer
Presente
- io rispondo
- tu rispondi
- lui/lei risponde
- noi rispondiamo
- voi rispondete
- loro rispondono
Osservare - Observe
Presente
- io osservo
- tu osservi
- lui/lei osserva
- noi osserviamo
- voi osservate
- loro osservano
Dire - Tell
Presente
- io dico
- tu dici
- lui/lei dice
- noi diciamo
- voi dite
- loro dicono
Parlare - Talk
Presente
- io parlo
- tu parli
- lui/lei parla
- noi parliamo
- voi parlate
- loro parlano
Exercise 9: Il plurale dei sostantivi
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The plural of nouns
Show translation Show answersnasi, piedi, bocche, mani, facce, braccia, occhi, gambe
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Descrivere to describe Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) descrivo | I describe |
| (tu) descrivi | You describe |
| (lui/lei) descrive | he/she describes |
| (noi) descriviamo | we describe |
| (voi) descrivete | You describe |
| (loro) descrivono | they describe |
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Lesson Overview: Body Parts and Noun Plurals in Italian
This lesson focuses on essential vocabulary related to body parts in Italian, including their plural forms. It is designed for A1 learners to build foundational communication skills for describing physical conditions, expressing discomfort, and talking about health.
Key Vocabulary: Visible Body Parts and Active Body Parts
The vocabulary is grouped into two categories for easier learning:
- Visible external body parts: la testa (head), la bocca (mouth), gli occhi (eyes), le orecchie (ears), il naso (nose), la faccia (face)
- Body parts used for activities: la mano (hand), le gambe (legs), i piedi (feet), le braccia (arms)
Useful Words and Expressions
- Dove ti fa male la gamba? (Where does your leg hurt?)
- Muovi le dita delle mani, per favore. (Move the fingers of your hands, please.)
- Hai mal di testa o mal di collo? (Do you have a headache or neck pain?)
- Guarda i miei occhi, sono rossi. (Look at my eyes, they are red.)
- Le orecchie ascoltano bene i suoni. (The ears listen well to sounds.)
- Lui ha i piedi grandi e cammina velocemente. (He has big feet and walks fast.)
Talking About Pain and Physical Conditions
The lesson includes practical dialogues for different everyday situations such as visiting a doctor, talking about physical pain with colleagues, and asking for advice at a pharmacy. These dialogues will help learners practice describing body parts and symptoms clearly and naturally.
Examples of Dialogue Settings
- At the Doctor for a Check-up: e.g., "Buongiorno dottore, ho dolore alla gamba destra."
- At Work, Describing Physical Problems: e.g., "Ho mal di testa e dolore al naso."
- At the Pharmacy, Asking for Advice: e.g., "Buongiorno, ho dolore al piede e alle dita."
Verb Practice: Conjugation of Describing Actions
Understanding how to conjugate key verbs is essential when describing physical sensations or daily activities. This lesson provides multiple-choice exercises and a short story focusing on verbs like descrivere (to describe), chiedere (to ask), rispondere (to answer), osservare (to observe), dire (to say), and parlare (to speak) in the present tense.
Verb Example: Descrivere (Present Tense)
- io descrivo
- tu descrivi
- lui/lei descrive
- noi descriviamo
- voi descrivete
- loro descrivono
Notes on Differences Between English and Italian
Italian nouns have gender and number, which means body parts are either masculine or feminine and change form in the plural. For example, "la mano" (the hand) becomes "le mani" (the hands), which is feminine plural, but "il piede" (the foot) becomes "i piedi" (the feet), a masculine plural form. This contrasts with English, where most body parts simply add -s or -es without gender.
A useful phrase structure is "Dove ti fa male...?" (Where does it hurt you?), which literally translates to "Where to you does it hurt?"—a different word order from English. Another expression is "Ho mal di..." to indicate suffering from something, e.g., ho mal di testa (I have a headache).
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