CILS A1 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

A che ora?

Italian question meaning 'at what time?'. In A1 listening it asks for a clock time; the answer is 'Alle otto', 'Alle 15:30'. Listen for the number after 'alle'.

Quanto costa?

Italian for 'how much does it cost?'. A1 listening items often give two prices; the correct one follows 'costa' or 'sono … euro'. Do not confuse with 'quanti anni'.

Binario

Italian noun meaning 'platform' (train station). In A1 listening announcements it appears with a number: 'Il treno parte dal binario 3'. A common distractor is a different platform number.

Orario

Italian noun meaning 'timetable' or 'schedule'. In A1 listening and reading it appears in station and shop contexts: 'L'orario dei treni', 'orario di apertura'. Related: 'orario di chiusura'.

Aperto / chiuso

Italian adjectives meaning 'open' and 'closed'. A1 listening and reading items test opening days and times; check the exact day and hour because distractors swap 'sabato' and 'domenica'.

Messaggio telefonico

Italian for 'phone message'. In CILS A1 Ascolto Task 2 a recorded message gives one concrete detail (time, place, name); the question asks for that single detail.

Dove?

Italian question word meaning 'where?'. In A1 listening it asks for a place; the answer is a preposition plus place: 'in farmacia', 'al mercato', 'alla stazione'. Listen for the place name.

Quando?

Italian question word meaning 'when?'. In A1 listening it asks for a day, date, or time; the answer is 'domani', 'lunedì', 'alle 9'. Distractors often mention two different days.

Avviso

Italian noun meaning 'notice' or 'announcement'. CILS A1 Lettura Task 1 uses short avvisi (shop notices, building notices) followed by multiple-choice questions about the main information.

Volantino

Italian noun meaning 'flyer' or 'leaflet'. A1 reading texts include supermarket volantini with prices and offers; questions ask for a product, price, or validity date.

Abbinamento

Italian term for 'matching' task. In CILS A1 Lettura Task 2 you match 3 short texts to 3 headings or situations; find the topic word in each heading first, then scan the texts.

Vero / falso

Italian for 'true / false'. CILS A1 Lettura Task 3 asks 3 vero/falso items on one simple text; the trap is a changed detail such as a day, a price, or a name.

Menu

Italian noun meaning 'menu'. A1 reading texts include simple menus with dishes and prices; questions ask 'Quanto costa…?' or 'Che cosa c'è…?'. The word is invariable in Italian.

False friends: burro, camera

Italian 'burro' means butter, not donkey; 'camera' means room, not camera. A1 reading and listening use these words in food and hotel contexts, so translate by context, not by English look-alike.

Cognati utili

Italian words similar to English that help A1 reading: farmacia, stazione, musica, televisione, autobus, taxi. They are useful clues, but check for false friends before choosing an answer.

Informazione principale

Italian for 'main information'. In CILS A1 Lettura Task 1 the correct answer states the main point of a short notice, not a secondary detail; eliminate options that add information not in the text.

CILS A1 Lettura: 3 tasks

The reading section has 3 tasks and 9 items in about 30 minutes: Task 1 multiple choice on short texts, Task 2 matching, Task 3 vero/falso on one longer simple text.

Cartolina

Italian noun meaning 'postcard'. CILS A1 Produzione scritta Task 1 often asks for a short cartolina or message of 20–30 words with a greeting, a place, an activity, and a closing.

Modulo

Italian noun meaning 'form'. CILS A1 Produzione scritta Task 2 may ask you to complete a simple modulo with personal data: nome, cognome, nazionalità, data di nascita, indirizzo.

Ciao, come stai?

Standard A1 opening formula meaning 'Hi, how are you?'. It counts toward task completion in a short message. A suitable reply is 'Sto bene, grazie' before adding your own news.

A presto / Un abbraccio

Common A1 closing formulas meaning 'see you soon' and 'a hug'. They end a short message or postcard; always include a closing because it is an easy task-completion point.

Ti scrivo da…

Italian formula meaning 'I am writing to you from…'. It introduces the place in a postcard: 'Ti scrivo da Roma'. Follow with a present-tense activity: 'Sono in vacanza e visito il centro'.

Accordo articolo-nome

Italian noun-adjective/article agreement: 'un amico' but 'un'amica'; 'il libro' but 'la casa'. At A1, check final -o/-a/-e so that articles and adjectives match the noun's gender and number.

Presente indicativo

The Italian present tense. At A1 it covers most writing: essere (sono, sei, è), avere (ho, hai, ha), and regular -are/-ere/-ire verbs (parlo, prendo, dormo). Avoid complex subordinate clauses.

Produzione scritta: 2 tasks

CILS A1 writing has 2 tasks in about 30 minutes, about 40–60 words total: a short message or postcard, and a simple form or note with personal information.

Una parola per frase

Writing strategy: one idea per short sentence. If the prompt lists 3 points, write 3 short sentences in order; this keeps the message comprehensible and completes the task at A1 level.

Mi chiamo…

Italian for 'my name is…'. It is the first fixed answer in the CILS A1 oral interview, followed by 'Sono…' (nationality), 'Ho… anni' (age), and 'Abito a…' (city).

Ho … anni

Italian for 'I am … years old', literally 'I have … years'. At A1 speaking, use 'Ho' not 'Sono' for age: 'Ho venti anni'. A common error is 'Sono venti anni'.

Abito a…

Italian for 'I live in…'. Use 'a' with cities ('Abito a Milano') and 'in' with countries ('Abito in Italia'). It is a standard answer in the A1 oral interview about where you live.

Mi piace…

Italian for 'I like…'. With a singular noun or verb use 'mi piace' ('Mi piace la musica'); with plural nouns use 'mi piacciono' ('Mi piacciono i libri'). Common A1 interview topic.

Scusi, può ripetere?

Formal Italian repair phrase meaning 'Excuse me, can you repeat?'. In the A1 oral exam, use it if you do not understand; repair phrases are accepted and do not penalize communication.

Vorrei…

Italian for 'I would like…'. It is the polite formula for the A1 role-play: 'Vorrei un biglietto per Roma', 'Vorrei un caffè'. It is followed by a noun or infinitive.