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What were the last five mistakes you made in Italian?

In my preparations for an Italian CELI exam in December, I’ve been noticing a lot of my own mistakes, ranging from grammar errors to things I just forget to add to my speech.

A lot of people make mistakes when learning a language, but not everybody wants to talk about them.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

– How to pinpoint your mistakes and how to go about correcting them after you identify them
– What serial mistakes are and how they can form into a bad habit
– The mistakes I’ve been making and how I’m working to correct them
– How to create an action plan to improve your Italian
– How I plan to fix my own bad habits

Examples from the episode:

1.) Forgetting to use “ne”

When you turn the phrase “Compro 2 chili di mele” into an informal command, you have to use ne, making it “Comprane 2 chili!”

2.) Sono troppo presto vs. Sono troppo in anticipo

When you try to tell someone you’re too early, you must say “Sono troppo in anticipio” instead of “Sono troppo presto.”

3.) Forgetting to use “ci”

When someone asks you “Vai spesso al cinema?“, you must respond with “Sì, ci vado spesso,” using ci as a substitute for al cinema.

4.) Innamorarsi – to fall in love

Essere innamorato/a/i/e means to BE in love, while as innamorarsi means to FALL in love.

5.) Aspettare vs. Aspettarsi

Aspettare qualcuno means to be waiting for someone.

Per esempio:
Ti aspetto. – I’ll wait for you

Aspettarsi, on the other hand, means to expect something of someone.

Per esempio:
Mi aspetto che studi se vuoi passare l’esame. – I expect that you’ll study if you want to pass your exam.

6.) Impersonal “si”

In the example “In un appartamento non si possono dipingere i muri,” the possono refers to the thing that can’t be painted, meaning the walls.

Quando ci si sente stanchi…

• Ci si alza più tardi quando si è in vacanza.

Si si alza becomes Ci si alza.

Let us know what mistakes you’re making in the comments below! We’d love to talk about them 🙂

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Listen to the Episode!