Music and art
Musica e arte
- Talk about culture events in the city.
- Go to the museum, an exposition, musical,...
- Indirect speech: “dire che”
This lesson introduces indirect speech in Italian using "dire che" with examples about music and art, featuring key words like "il musicista", "il pianoforte", "il concerto", "la mostra", and "il museo".
Vocabulary (13) 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 groups: those related to music and those related to visual art.
Parole legate alla musica
Parole legate all'arte visiva
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Suonare uno strumento
To play an instrument
2
L'esibizione
The exhibition
3
La chitarra
The guitar
4
La radio
The radio
5
Il pianoforte
The piano
Esercizio 5: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Describe the activities in the pictures. (Describe the activities in the pictures.)
- Talk about your favourite art and music. (Talk about your favourite art and music.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Ci sono due ragazzi che guardano la televisione. There are two boys watching the television. |
|
Puoi vedere un artista che lavora a un progetto artistico. You can see an artist working on an art project. |
|
Mi piace la mostra di Picasso. I like the exposition of Picasso. |
|
A che ora inizia il concerto? What time does the concert start? |
|
Vado a una mostra di arte moderna. I go to an exposition on modern art. |
|
Mi piace il rock, ma mi godo anche un concerto jazz. I like rock, but also I enjoy a Jazz concert. |
| ... |
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. Fabio dice che ___ al museo domani.
(Fabio says he ___ to the museum tomorrow.)2. Maria dice che ___ il pianoforte in concerto.
(Maria says she ___ the piano at the concert.)3. Giovanni dice che il concerto ___ stasera.
(Giovanni says the concert ___ tonight.)4. Lucia dice che la mostra ___ vicino al centro.
(Lucia says the exhibition ___ near the center.)Exercise 8: Let's go to the museum and the concert
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Andare - Go
Presente
- io vado
- tu vai
- lui/lei va
- noi andiamo
- voi andate
- loro vanno
Dire - Say
Presente
- io dico
- tu dici
- lui/lei dice
- noi diciamo
- voi dite
- loro dicono
Suonare - Play
Presente
- io suono
- tu suoni
- lui/lei suona
- noi suoniamo
- voi suonate
- loro suonano
Essere - Be
Presente
- io sono
- tu sei
- lui/lei è
- noi siamo
- voi siete
- loro sono
Exercise 9: Il discorso indiretto: “dire che”
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Indirect speech: “dire che”
Show translation Show answersdice che l'opera, dice che suona il pianoforte, dice che suona, dicono che il concerto, dice che cantare, dice che la mostra, dice che va, dice che il museo
Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!
Do you want to practice Italian today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.
Lesson Overview: Indirect Speech using "dire che"
This lesson covers how to use indirect speech in Italian, specifically with the phrase "dire che" (to say that). This structure is a common way to report what someone else says, and it is essential for everyday conversations about events, opinions, and facts.
Key Grammar Point: Indirect Speech
In Italian, indirect speech often uses "dire che" followed by a verb conjugated in the present tense to report statements. For example:
- "Dicono che la mostra è aperta tutti i giorni." (They say that the exhibition is open every day.)
- "Maria dice che suona il pianoforte in un concerto." (Maria says that she plays the piano in a concert.)
Notice how the verb after "dire che" remains in the present tense when reporting current or habitual facts.
Useful Vocabulary: Music and Visual Art
Familiarity with vocabulary related to music and visual arts helps understand and create sentences using indirect speech in cultural contexts:
- Words related to music: il cantante (the singer), il musicista (the musician), la chitarra (the guitar), il pianoforte (the piano), il concerto (the concert)
- Words related to visual arts: il dipinto (the painting), il museo (the museum), la mostra (the exhibition)
Practical Use: Reporting Cultural Events
The lesson includes dialogues to practice talking about concerts, exhibitions, and cultural events using indirect speech. For example, discussing a concert in the city by reporting what friends say:
- "Marco dice che il gruppo è molto famoso." (Marco says that the band is very famous.)
- "Anna dice che i biglietti si possono comprare online." (Anna says that tickets can be bought online.)
Verb Conjugation Practice
The verbs most frequently used with indirect speech here are andare, dire, suonare, and essere. It is useful to review their present tense forms as they appear in sentences:
- io vado, tu vai, lui/lei va, noi andiamo, voi andate, loro vanno
- io dico, tu dici, lui/lei dice, noi diciamo, voi dite, loro dicono
- io suono, tu suoni, lui/lei suona, noi suoniamo, voi suonate, loro suonano
- io sono, tu sei, lui/lei è, noi siamo, voi siete, loro sono
Short Story
The included short story uses indirect speech to describe going to a museum and a concert, helping learners see how grammar and vocabulary come together in context:
"Oggi io vado al museo con la mia famiglia. Mia figlia dice che vuole vedere la nuova mostra di arte moderna. Il mio amico Marco, che è un musicista, suona il pianoforte in un concerto stasera. Lui dice che il concerto è alle otto. Noi andiamo insieme perché ci piace la musica classica e l'arte."
Notes on Differences Between English and Italian
Unlike English, Italian often keeps the verb tense in indirect speech present when the reported information is still true or habitual. For example, English uses the past tense in indirect speech: "She said she played the piano," but Italian uses the present: "Maria dice che suona il pianoforte." This can be less confusing for learners, but it's important to remember for accurate communication.
Helpful phrases include:
- "dire che" – to say that
- "dicono che" – they say that
- "dice che" – he/she says that
These will help you comfortably report statements in Italian conversations about culture, music, and art.
These lessons would not be possible without our amazing partners🙏
