Houseplants and garden plants
Piante da appartamento e piante da giardino
- Learn the names of common plants and flowers in the house and in the garden.
- Daily plant care routine and gardening.
- Stare + gerund
In questa lezione imparerai a usare il verbo "stare" con il gerundio per descrivere azioni in corso, come "sto annaffiando" o "stai seminando". Scoprirai vocaboli utili per parlare di piante da appartamento (la rosa, annaffiare) e piante da giardino (l'albero, seminare).
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
A1.36.1 Racconto breve
Come avere un giardino ordinato tutto l'anno
How to have a tidy garden all year round
Vocabulary (14) 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 words into two distinct categories: plants that are normally found indoors and plants that grow in the garden.
Piante da appartamento
Piante da giardino
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
La rosa
The rose
2
Il fiore
The flower
3
Seminare
To sow
4
Il tulipano
The tulip
5
La foglia
The leaf
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Say what you can see in the garden. (Say what you can see in the garden.)
- Describe your own or your ideal garden. (Describe your own or your ideal garden.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Ci sono fiori viola nel giardino. There are purple flowers in the garden. |
|
C'è un grande albero vecchio. There is a big old tree. |
|
Ho fiori gialli e rosa nel mio giardino. I have yellow and pink flowers in my garden. |
|
Ho un'altalena nel mio giardino per i miei bambini. I have a swing in my garden for my children. |
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Non ho cactus nel mio giardino. I don't have cactuses in my garden. |
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Annaffio le mie piante ogni 3 giorni. I water my plants every 3 days. |
| ... |
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 ____ annaffiando le piante in giardino adesso.
(I ____ watering the plants in the garden now.)2. Tu ____ seminando i fiori nel vaso.
(You ____ planting the flowers in the pot.)3. Lui ____ facendo crescere un albero vicino alla casa.
(He ____ making a tree grow near the house.)4. Noi ____ curando le rose con molto amore.
(We ____ taking care of the roses with much love.)Exercise 8: Houseplants and Garden Plants
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Annaffiare - Water
Presente
- io annaffio
- tu annaffi
- lui/lei annaffia
- noi annaffiamo
- voi annaffiate
- loro annaffiano
Seminare - Plant
Presente
- io semino
- tu semini
- lui/lei semina
- noi seminiamo
- voi seminate
- loro seminano
Crescere - Grow
Passato prossimo
- io sono cresciuto/a
- tu sei cresciuto/a
- lui/lei è cresciuto/a
- noi siamo cresciuti/e
- voi siete cresciuti/e
- loro sono cresciuti/e
Curare - Care
Presente
- io curo
- tu curi
- lui/lei cura
- noi curiamo
- voi curate
- loro curano
Exercise 9: Stare + gerundio
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Stare + gerund
Show translation Show answersstanno giocando, state preparando, sto annusando, sto annaffiando, stanno curando, sta sistemando, sta seminando, stiamo crescendo
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Crescere to grow Share Copied!
Passato prossimo
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) sono cresciuto/sono cresciuta | I have grown |
| (tu) sei cresciuto/sei cresciuta | You have grown |
| (lui/lei) è cresciuto/è cresciuta | he/she has grown |
| (noi) siamo cresciuti/siamo cresciute | we have grown |
| (voi) siete cresciuti/siete cresciute | You have grown |
| (loro) sono cresciuti/sono cresciute | they have grown |
Seminare to sow Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) semino | I sow |
| (tu) semini | You sow |
| (lui/lei) semina | he/she sows |
| (noi) seminiamo | we sow |
| (voi) seminate | You sow |
| (loro) seminano | they sow |
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Lesson Overview: Houseplants and Garden Plants in Italian
This lesson is designed for beginners (A1 level) and focuses on vocabulary, expressions, and grammar related to caring for houseplants and garden plants in Italian. The central grammar topic is the present continuous tense ("stare" + gerundio), which is essential to describe ongoing actions such as watering, planting, or preparing soil.
Key Grammar Point: Present Continuous (Stare + Gerundio)
Italian expresses ongoing actions using the verb stare combined with the gerund form of the main verb. For example, "Sto annaffiando le rose" means "I am watering the roses." This construction highlights activities happening right now, which is very useful when talking about daily care of plants.
Important Vocabulary: Plants and Gardening Terms
- Piante da appartamento (Houseplants): la rosa (rose), il tulipano (tulip), la foglia (leaf), annaffiare le piante (to water plants)
- Piante da giardino (Garden Plants): l'albero (tree), l'erba (grass), la terra (soil), seminare (to sow)
Useful Expressions and Example Sentences
Here are some practical sentences illustrating the present continuous form and plant-related vocabulary:
- Sto annaffiando le rose nel giardino adesso. (I am watering the roses in the garden now.)
- Stai seminando i semi nel vaso grande? (Are you sowing the seeds in the big pot?)
- La bambina sta annusando un fiore profumato. (The girl is smelling a fragrant flower.)
- Noi stiamo coltivando un albero sul balcone. (We are growing a tree on the balcony.)
Dialogues and Real-life Communication
The lesson includes dialogues simulating situations such as buying houseplants, discussing their care, and weekend gardening activities. These conversations provide examples of asking for advice and sharing routines, essential for practical speaking skills.
Note on Language Differences and Practical Tips
Unlike English, Italian uses the present continuous less frequently; simple present can often replace it. However, when you want to emphasize something happening right now, Italians use stare + gerund, e.g., sto annaffiando. The verb seminare means "to sow" or "to plant seeds," an expression less common in everyday English but vital in gardening vocabulary. Words like la terra (soil) and l'erba (grass) are fundamental to describe garden environments.
Some useful Italian phrases for everyday practice:
Come si cura questa pianta? (How do you care for this plant?)
Devo annaffiarla ogni giorno? (Do I need to water it every day?)
Sto preparando la terra per le nuove piante. (I am preparing the soil for the new plants.)
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