Colours
Colori
- Describe the colours of common objects.
- Use of “piacere”
This lesson focuses on expressing likes and dislikes about colors using the verb "piacere." Learn key color words like azzurro (light blue), rosso (red), giallo (yellow), nero (black), and marrone (brown) to describe preferences in clothing, hair, and home objects.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (15) 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 based on the type of color: natural colors or artificial colors.
Colori naturali
Colori artificiali
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Verde
Green
2
Marrone
Brown
3
Azzurro
Light blue
4
Rosso
Red
5
Piacere
To like
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Describe the colours of the clothes. (Describe the colours of the clothes.)
- Describe the hair colour of each person. (Describe the hair colour of each person.)
- Describe your own appearance. (Describe your own appearance.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Le scarpe sono bianche. The shoes are white. |
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Ha i capelli castani. She has brown hair. |
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La donna indossa un completo giallo. The woman is wearing a yellow suite. |
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Lei ha i capelli biondi. She has blond hair. |
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Indosso una camicetta viola. I'm wearing a purple blouse. |
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Alice indossa stivali neri. Alice is wearing black boots. |
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Indossa un paio di jeans. She is wearing a pair of jeans. |
| ... |
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. Mi ___ il colore blu perché è calmo e rilassante.
(I ___ the color blue because it is calm and relaxing.)2. Ti ___ i vestiti verdi che hai comprato ieri?
(Do you ___ the green clothes you bought yesterday?)3. Non mi ___ il colore arancione dei capelli di Marco.
(I don't ___ the orange color of Marco's hair.)4. Io ___ quando le persone non rispettano il colore delle pareti.
(I ___ it when people don't respect the color of the walls.)Exercise 8: At Marco and Anna's house
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Odiare - To hate
Presente
- io odio
- tu odi
- lui/lei odia
- noi odiamo
- voi odiate
- loro odiano
Piacere - To like
Presente
- io piaccio
- tu piaci
- lui/lei piace
- noi piacciamo
- voi piacete
- loro piacciono
Exercise 9: Uso di “piacere”
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Use of “piacere”
Show translation Show answerspiace, piacciono
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Odiare to hate Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) odio | I hate |
| (tu) odi | You hate |
| (lui/lei) odia | he/she hates |
| (noi) odiamo | We hate |
| (voi) odiate | You hate |
| (loro) odiano | they hate |
Piacere to like Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) piaccio / mi piace | I like |
| (tu) piaci / ti piace | You like |
| (lui/lei) piace | he/she likes |
| (noi) piacciamo | we like |
| (voi) piacete | You like |
| (loro) piacciono | They like |
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Lesson Overview: Colours and Expressing Preferences with "Piacere"
This lesson introduces you to Italian vocabulary related to colours and teaches you how to express likes and dislikes using the verb "piacere". It is designed for beginner learners (A1 level) aiming to describe colours and share preferences fluently.
Key Vocabulary: Colours
You will learn common Italian colour words often used in daily life, including:
- verde (green)
- blu (blue)
- giallo (yellow)
- rosa (pink)
- viola (purple)
- nero (black)
- bianco (white)
- marrone (brown)
Expressing Likes and Dislikes with "Piacere"
The verb "piacere" is key to expressing what you like or don’t like in Italian. Unlike English where you say "I like blue", in Italian you say "Mi piace il colore blu" ("The colour blue pleases me").
Notice the difference between singular and plural forms:
- Mi piace il colore azzurro. (I like the blue colour.)
- Mi piacciono i vestiti rossi. (I like the red clothes.)
Practice Contexts
Conversations and sentence examples focus on describing colours of clothes, hair, and household objects while expressing preferences. For instance:
- "Ti piace la camicia rossa?" (Do you like the red shirt?)
- "Mi piacciono i capelli neri di Maria." (I like Maria’s black hair.)
- "Non mi piace il colore giallo sulla parete." (I don’t like the yellow colour on the wall.)
Word Grouping Exercise
You will classify colours into two categories:
- Colours found in nature: verde, blu, giallo, rosa, viola
- Colours of man-made objects: nero, bianco, marrone
Useful Italian Phrases and Notes
- Mi piace... / Mi piacciono... – I like...
- Non mi piace... – I don’t like...
- Ti piace...? – Do you like...?
- Preferisco... – I prefer...
Differences Between English and Italian
In English, the verb "like" directly matches the subject: "I like the colour blue." Italian uses a different structure where the thing liked acts as the subject of the verb "piacere", which literally means "to please." You say "Mi piace il colore blu", which translates as "The blue colour pleases me." This requires careful verb conjugation to match singular or plural nouns. Similarly, plurals require "piacciono" instead of "piace". Focusing on these differences helps with natural expression in Italian.
This lesson also provides practical phrases for everyday conversations about colours that adults commonly encounter, such as shopping for clothes or describing a home environment.
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