Where are you from?
Di dove sei?
- Ask somebody where they are from
- Say your nationality
- The articles in Italian
- Gender and number of nouns
This lesson teaches key Italian phrases and vocabulary about nationality and origin, such as "Di dove sei?" (Where are you from?), "italiano" (Italian), and country names like "Italia" and "Francia." It introduces verb conjugations of "venire," "vivere," and "nascere" in the present tense for everyday conversations.
Listening and reading
Start this class by listening to the audio and completing the corresponding exercises.
Vocabulary (24) 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: Group the words based on the categories Countries and Nationalities to practice talking about origin and provenance.
Paesi
Nazionalità
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Italia
Italy
2
Il Regno Unito
The United Kingdom
3
Venire
To come
4
L'abitante
The inhabitant
5
Svezia
Sweden
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Descrivi la nazionalità di ciascuna persona. (Describe the nationality of each person.)
- Di' dove vivono attualmente. (Say where do they currently live.)
- Dì dove vivi. (Tell where you live.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Eero è dalla Francia. Eero is from France. |
|
Ola viene dalla Polonia e vive a Londra. Ola comes from Poland and she lives in London. |
|
Maria è spagnola. Maria is Spanish. |
|
Jan è dei Paesi Bassi. Jan is from the Netherlands. |
|
Di dove sei? Where are you from? |
|
Dove vivi? Where do you live? |
| ... |
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. Ciao, io ___ dall'Italia.
(Hi, I ___ from Italy.)2. E tu, da dove ___?
(And you, where do you ___?)3. Io ___ a Milano, ma ora vivo a Roma.
(I ___ in Milan, but now I live in Rome.)4. Quanti anni hai? Io ___ trentacinque.
(How old are you? I ___ thirty-five.)Exercise 8: Where are you from?
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Venire - Venire
Presente
- io vengo
- tu vieni
- lui/lei viene
- noi veniamo
- voi venite
- loro vengono
Vivere - Vivere
Presente
- io vivo
- tu vivi
- lui/lei vive
- noi viviamo
- voi vivete
- loro vivono
Nascere - Nascere
Participio Passato
- nato
- nata
- nati
- nate
Essere - Essere
Presente
- io sono
- tu sei
- lui/lei è
- noi siamo
- voi siete
- loro sono
Exercise 9: Gli articoli in italiano
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The articles in Italian
Show translation Show answersUn, il, l', un', lo, uno, gli, un
Exercise 10: Genere e numero dei sostantivi
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Gender and number of nouns
Show translation Show answersabitante, l'uomo, ragazze, ragazzo, ragazza, città, uomini
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Venire to come Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) vengo | I come |
| (tu) vieni | You come |
| (lui/lei) viene | he/she comes |
| (noi) veniamo | we come |
| (voi) venite | You come |
| (loro) vengono | they come |
Vivere to live Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) vivo | I live |
| (tu) vivi | you live |
| (lui/lei) vive | he/she lives |
| (noi) viviamo | we live |
| (voi) vivete | You live |
| (loro) vivono | they live |
Nascere to be born Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) nasco | I am born |
| (tu) nasci | You are born |
| (lui/lei) nasce | he/she is born |
| (noi) nasciamo | we are born |
| (voi) nascete | you are born |
| (loro) nascano | they are born |
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Lesson Overview: Asking and Talking About Origin
This A1 lesson focuses on essential Italian vocabulary and grammar to talk about where you and others come from. It teaches how to ask questions about origin, respond with nationality and place names, and introduces important grammar points like Italian articles, noun gender and number.
Key Language Points
- Asking origin: Common questions include Di dove sei? (Where are you from?) and Da dove vieni? (Where do you come from?).
- Talking about nationality and cities: For example, Io sono italiano, e tu? (I am Italian, and you?), Sono di Milano (I am from Milan).
- Use of definite articles: Learn when and how to use articles like il, la, l', gli especially with country names and inhabitants.
- Gender and number of nouns: Distinguishing masculine and feminine forms (e.g., italiano for male, italiana for female) and singular/plural forms.
Vocabulary Highlight
- Countries: Italia, Francia, Germania, Spagna, Norvegia
- Nationalities: italiano, francese, tedesco
- Useful verbs: venire (to come), vivere (to live), nascere (to be born) in present tense forms
Grammar in Context
The lesson offers practical sentences and mini-dialogues for everyday situations such as meeting at a bar or office, or chatting at a market. For example:
- "Ciao! Di dove sei?" (Hi! Where are you from?)
- "Sono di Milano. E tu?" (I am from Milan. And you?)
- "Io sono tedesco, di Berlino." (I am German, from Berlin.)
Verb Conjugations
The lesson provides full conjugation tables for venire, vivere, and nascere in the present tense, helping learners recognize and use these verbs correctly in context.
Instruction Language vs. Italian
English instruction explains Italian, which uses gendered nouns and articles unlike English. While English uses "I am Italian" without gender variations, Italian distinguishes italiano (male) and italiana (female). Articles also play a key role before country names, e.g. l'Italia (Italy), unlike English which often omits them. Verbs describing origin or residence like venire (to come) and vivere (to live) have specific present tense conjugations important to master early on.
Useful Phrases and Words
- Di dove sei? - Where are you from?
- Sono di [city/country]. - I am from [city/country].
- Io sono italiano/a. - I am Italian.
- Vengo dall'Italia. - I come from Italy.
- Vivo a Roma. - I live in Rome.
- Lui nasce in Germania. - He was born in Germany.
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