From post office to email
Dall'ufficio postale all'email
- Send and receive messages.
- Email and internet.
- L'infinito passato
This lesson explores practical Italian conversations and expressions for mailing letters and using email, focusing on key verbs like 'spedire' (to send), 'allegare' (to attach), and 'leggere' (to read) in the passato prossimo and infinito passato tenses.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Il mittente
The sender
2
La busta
The envelope
3
La firma
The signature
4
Sacaricare
To download
5
Spedire
To send
Esercizio 2: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Do you still send letters or only emails? (Do you still send letters or only emails?)
- What is necessary when you want to send a letter? Use the subjunctive. (What is necessary when you want to send a letter? Use the subjunctive. )
- How many emails do you usually receive in a day? (How many emails do you usually receive in a day?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Adesso invio solo email. È più veloce e più facile. I only send emails now. It’s faster and easier. |
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A volte invio lettere per occasioni speciali. Come compleanni o festività. Sometimes I send letters for special things. Like birthdays or holidays. |
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È importante che tu firmi la lettera. It is important that you sign the letter. |
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È necessario che tu spedisca la lettera portandola all'ufficio postale per esempio. It is necessary that you send the letter by taking it to the post office for example. |
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Di solito ricevo 10 o 15 email. La maggior parte sono di lavoro. I usually get 10 or 15 emails. Most are for work. |
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Ricevo 5 email al giorno. Alcune sono da amici, alcune dai giornali. I receive 5 emails a day. Some are from friends, some from newspapers. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Dopo __________ all'ufficio postale, ho spedito la lettera al destinatario.
(After __________ to the post office, I sent the letter to the recipient.)2. Prima di __________ il file, controllo sempre che sia completo.
(Before __________ the file, I always check that it is complete.)3. Spero che tu __________ il messaggio prima di rispondere.
(I hope that you __________ the message before replying.)4. Non inviare la mail senza __________ di controllare gli errori.
(Do not send the email without __________ checking the errors.)Exercise 5: Sending an Email After Going to the Post Office
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Andare - To Go
Passato Prossimo
- io sono andato/a
- tu sei andato/a
- lui/lei è andato/a
- noi siamo andati/e
- voi siete andati/e
- loro sono andati/e
Allegare - To Attach
Passato Prossimo
- io ho allegato
- tu hai allegato
- lui/lei ha allegato
- noi abbiamo allegato
- voi avete allegato
- loro hanno allegato
Leggere - To Read
Passato Prossimo
- io ho letto
- tu hai letto
- lui/lei ha letto
- noi abbiamo letto
- voi avete letto
- loro hanno letto
Spedire - To Send
Passato Prossimo
- io ho spedito
- tu hai spedito
- lui/lei ha spedito
- noi abbiamo spedito
- voi avete spedito
- loro hanno spedito
Andare - To Go
Infinito Passato
- Andare
Exercise 6: L'infinito passato
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: L'infinito passato
Show translation Show answersessere andato, essere stato, aver chiuso, aver capito, aver letto, essersi svegliato, aver allegato, aver finito
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Spedire to send Share Copied!
Presente
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) spedisco | I send |
| (tu) spedisci | You send |
| (lui/lei) spedisce | he/she sends |
| (noi) spediamo | we send |
| (voi) spedite | You send |
| (loro) spediscono | they send |
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Lesson Overview: Communicating With Post Office and Email in Italian
This lesson focuses on practical communication in Italian about mailing letters and sending emails, emphasizing the use of the passato prossimo (present perfect tense) and infinito passato (past infinitive). It is designed for A2 level learners who want to improve their everyday conversation and written communication skills related to postal services and electronic messaging.
Key Topics Covered
- Using postal services: Vocabulary and expressions for sending letters abroad, filling envelopes, asking about delivery times, and understanding registered mail (raccomandata).
- Email correspondence: Phrases for writing and responding to emails, checking attachments, and confirming receipt.
- Internet and messaging: Conversations about using internet tools for work and daily life, such as email, messaging apps, and video calls.
Important Language Points
This lesson highlights the Italian passato prossimo to describe past completed actions, with verbs like andare (to go), allegare (to attach), leggere (to read), and spedire (to send). It also introduces the infinito passato, used after certain verbs to indicate an action completed before another past action, for example, in the phrase:
Dopo essere andato all'ufficio postale, ho spedito la cartolina.
Selected Vocabulary and Phrases
- All'ufficio postale: at the post office
- spedire una lettera: to send a letter
- raccomandata: registered mail
- completare la busta: fill out the envelope
- affrancare: to stamp/postage
- inviare un'email: to send an email
- allegare un file: to attach a file
- controllare le email: to check emails
- messaggio vocale: voice message
- videoconferenza: video conference
Grammatical Notes and Useful Expressions
The instruction language, English, differs from Italian in key ways related to tense and verb structure. The passato prossimo in Italian often requires auxiliary verbs essere or avere plus the past participle, unlike English simple past or present perfect forms. For example, sono andato literally means "I have gone" or "I went," depending on context.
The infinito passato (past infinitive) is a formulated construction using the infinitive of the auxiliary verb plus the past participle of the main verb, used after expressions such as dopo to indicate an action completed before another. English usually renders this with phrases like "after having done something."
Useful Phrases Comparing English and Italian
- After having sent the email = dopo aver inviato l'email
- I have attached = ho allegato
- I went to the post office = sono andato all'ufficio postale
- Registered mail guarantees delivery = La raccomandata garantisce la consegna
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