SACE Stage 2 Italian (beginners) key terms

The everyday present tense used to state facts, habits, and current actions. Regular verbs follow -are, -ere, and -ire patterns, while common irregulars such as essere, avere, andare, and fare must be memorised separately.

A past tense formed with an auxiliary verb (avere or essere) plus a past participle. It describes completed actions and events. Most verbs take avere; movement and reflexive verbs usually take essere with participle agreement.

An imperfect past tense describing ongoing situations, background descriptions, habits, and weather in the past. It contrasts with the passato prossimo, which reports single completed events, so choosing correctly matters in narratives.

The past participle form of a verb, such as parlato, creduto, or dormito. It builds compound tenses with an auxiliary and, after essere, agrees in gender and number with the subject.

Verbs whose action returns to the subject, used with reflexive pronouns such as mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si. Examples include alzarsi (to get up) and lavarsi (to wash oneself). They commonly take essere in compound past tenses.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in person and number. Italian often drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows who acts, so correct endings are essential for clear meaning.

The definite article meaning the: il, lo, la, i, gli, le. The choice depends on the noun's gender, number, and initial sound, so lo and gli appear before words beginning with s plus a consonant, z, or a vowel.

The indefinite article meaning a or an: un, uno, una. It changes form according to the following noun's gender and first sound, and it is normally omitted before professions in simple sentences.

Italian nouns are masculine or feminine and singular or plural, with endings usually signalling both. Many -o nouns are masculine and -a nouns feminine, but common exceptions and irregular plurals must be learned with each noun.

Words such as mio, tuo, suo, and loro that show ownership. They normally take a definite article, except with singular family members, and they agree with the thing owned rather than with the owner.

The requirement that an adjective match the noun it describes in gender and number. Four-form adjectives change as -o, -a, -i, -e, while two-form adjectives end in -e for both genders and -i in the plural.

Basic prepositions such as di, a, da, in, con, su, per, and tra or fra. They express relationships of place, time, cause, and means, and their correct use is a frequent source of beginner errors.

Combinations of a simple preposition with a definite article, producing forms such as al, della, nel, sul, and agli. They are obligatory in many common expressions of place and time, for example al cinema or nel pomeriggio.

Adverbs such as sempre, spesso, a volte, raramente, and mai that show how often something happens. They usually sit after the verb but before a compound past participle, and mai requires a negative construction.

Words and phrases such as prima, dopo, poi, mentre, and quando that link events in time. They help organise a narrative and often signal whether the passato prossimo or the imperfetto is more appropriate.

Subject pronouns io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro. Because verb endings already identify the subject, these pronouns are used mainly for emphasis, contrast, or clarity, and they are omitted in most neutral sentences.

Object pronouns mi, ti, lo, la, ci, vi, li, le that replace a direct object. They usually come before the conjugated verb, and their form changes with the gender and number of the noun replaced.

Indirect object pronouns mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, gli that answer to whom or for whom. They replace a person introduced by a, and gli is also commonly used in the plural for both genders.

Question formation in Italian, which needs no auxiliary verb. A statement becomes a question by rising intonation or by adding a question word such as chi, che cosa, dove, quando, or perché at the start.

Polite address using the lei form, for example Come sta? or Scusi. It uses third-person singular verb endings when speaking formally to one person, and knowing when to switch from tu is a social and grammatical skill.

Fixed expressions for greeting and introducing yourself, such as buongiorno, buonasera, ciao, mi chiamo, and piacere. Appropriate choice depends on formality and time of day, and these phrases form a core of spoken interaction.

Cardinal numbers and clock time, for example sono le tre or è l'una. Telling time uses the verb essere with feminine plural le for most hours, and numbers are needed for prices, dates, and appointments.

Phrases that locate things and people, such as a destra, a sinistra, davanti a, dietro, vicino a, and lontano da. They combine with prepositions and articles to give directions or describe where someone lives and works.

Vocabulary for family members, including madre, padre, fratello, sorella, nonni, and figlio. Learners should know the irregular plural of some forms and the rule that singular family members usually drop the possessive article.

Words for school life such as scuola, materia, compito, insegnante, and orario. This vocabulary supports describing timetables, subjects, and daily routines, which are common topics in internal assessment tasks.

Vocabulary for hobbies and free time, such as sport, musica, uscire, and giocare. It appears in conversations about what someone does regularly, so it pairs naturally with frequency adverbs and present-tense verbs.

A short informal written message, such as an email or text to a friend, using tu forms and everyday language. It should include a greeting, the main information, and a closing, and it is a typical internal assessment task.

Reading comprehension: finding main ideas and specific details in a short Italian text and answering questions in Italian or English. Candidates should skim for gist, scan for key words, and use context to guess unfamiliar vocabulary.

Listening comprehension: understanding spoken Italian from dialogues, announcements, or interviews and responding to questions. Success depends on anticipating content, noting key details, and not stopping at a single unknown word.

The writing task in the external examination, often a short email, message, or description of about a set length. It is assessed on task fulfilment, range and accuracy of vocabulary and grammar, and clear organisation.

The speaking component, in which candidates hold a short conversation and give a brief talk or description. Fluency, pronunciation, range of vocabulary, and the ability to interact and repair misunderstandings are all assessed.

Key words in a question or text that signal what information is required, such as names, dates, places, and question words. Identifying them before reading or listening helps candidates target the relevant part of the material.

A common exam topic area covering self, family, school, daily routine, and hobbies. Answers combine present-tense verbs, possessive adjectives, and everyday vocabulary, so preparing flexible sentences on these themes is valuable.

The rubric instructions telling candidates how many words to write, how many questions to answer, and in which language to respond. Misreading them can cost marks even when the Italian itself is accurate.

The final checking stage in which candidates review their work for verb endings, adjective agreement, articles, and spelling. Allocating a few minutes to this step reliably improves accuracy in written examination tasks.

The choice between polite lei forms and friendly tu forms according to audience and situation. Formal writing avoids slang and uses complete greetings, while informal messages to friends can be shorter and more relaxed.

The required word count for a written task, usually stated in the instructions. Candidates should plan content to meet the minimum without padding, since irrelevant material can reduce marks for communication.