Coffee Break Italian

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.16 | Indefinite adjectives and pronouns | Scopriamo la Puglia con Nicola

Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3! The topic of this episode is indefinite adjectives and pronouns – words used to express indefinite quantities without any specific reference to quantities, people, things, or places. Throughout the lesson, Mark and Francesca focus on the most widely used indefinite adjectives and pronouns in

Coffee Break Italian

CBI Mag 2.04 | Samantha Cristoforetti: un’italiana alla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale

We’re back with another episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! This time, our text is all about the first female Italian astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti! Join Mark and Francesca as they learn about her impressive life and work while discussing some interesting grammar points including: dopo + passive past infinitive; how the word ben is

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.15 | Conditional perfect | Notizie dal telegiornale

Welcome back to Coffee Break Italian Season 3! In this episode we continue our journey through the conditional. Following on from the previous episode where we introduced this new mood and explained its functions; we are now focusing on the conditional perfect. We hear this grammar point in context during a conversation between husband and

Coffee Break Italian

CBI Mag 2.03 | La Festa del Primo Maggio

Welcome to another episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! In this episode Mark and Francesca discuss how the 1st of May, also known as ‘Labour Day’ or ‘May Day’, is celebrated in Italy. After listening to a text about this celebration we take a closer look at the language covered, including the use of

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.14 | Introduction to the conditional | Dottore, non mi sento bene!

Welcome to another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3! This time we’re introducing a new type of verb: the conditional mood. Join Mark and Francesca as they explain how and when to use the conditional in order to be more polite; to give advice; and to say that something would happen or occur if

Coffee Break Italian

CBI Mag 2.02 | Castelluccio di Norcia: la perla dell’Umbria

In this week’s episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine we’re heading to Castelluccio di Norcia, a village between the regions of Marche and Umbria in Central Italy. As we hear a text about this village, Mark and Francesca discuss the interesting language points along the way. We look at verbs requiring the addition of

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.13 | Impersonal si | Viva la pausa caffè!

In this episode of Coffee Break Italian, Mark and Francesca introduce a new grammar point: the very useful si impersonale or “impersonal si”. We learn how the word si can be used as a generic subject in order to avoid specific reference to a person or group of people. We also learn how to form this impersonal structure with different tenses, provided the

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.12 | Formal and irregular imperative | Alla scoperta della città

We’re back with another episode of Coffee Break Italian! This time, Mark and Francesca are looking at the formal imperative and its negative and irregular form. We see this grammar point in context with a dialogue between a Scottish tourist and a local who provides directions to the Museum of Modern Art. Listen out for some useful

Coffee Break Italian

Coffee Break Italian News – 4th April 2022

In this special episode, Mark provides an update on all things Coffee Break Italian including the return of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine in late April 2022; the launch of the Coffee Break books, available from June in your local bookshop and from online retailers; and the Coffee Break Italian Club, where you can get

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.11 | Introduction to the imperative | Anno nuovo, vita nuova!

In this week’s lesson of Coffee Break Italian Season 3 we’re looking at the following forms of the imperative: tu and voi forms; the negative imperative; irregular forms; and the imperative with pronouns. We also hear a dialogue between two colleagues, Carlo and Michela, who are back at work after their Christmas holidays.

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.10 | Review of all pronouns | Caro diario…

We have reached Lesson 10 of Coffee Break Italian Season 3! In this review lesson we look at all of the pronouns covered in Lessons 1 -9: subject pronouns, reflexive pronouns, direct and indirect object pronouns and combined pronouns. We also hear from Silvia, a young girl who has written a journal entry all about

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.09 | Disjunctive pronouns | Amicizia e musica

In this lesson, Coffee Break Italian hosts, Mark and Francesca, introduce the last remaining category of personal pronouns to be discussed in this series: disjunctive pronouns. We then listen to a dialogue centred around the use of disjunctive pronouns. In the previous episodes, direct, indirect and combined pronouns were looked at quite extensively and you

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.08 | Combined pronouns | Una macchina nuova di zecca

Welcome back to Coffee Break Italian Season 3! In this lesson, Mark and Francesca bring together direct and indirect object pronouns, and discuss what happens when both pronouns are used in one sentence at the same time. Before looking at this new grammar point, we remind ourselves what direct and indirect objects are and then

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.07 | Indirect object pronouns | Due compleanni davvero speciali

Throughout this lesson of Coffee Break Italian, Mark and Francesca teach us about indirect object pronouns and we follow a dialogue of three friends discussing what present to get for two of their friends’ birthdays. Listen out for some useful vocabulary including the words: cravatta and indimenticabile.

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.06 | Superlative adjectives | Aiuto! Cosa mi metto?

We’re back with a brand new Coffee Break Italian lesson! Join Mark and Francesca in this episode as they continue discussing the topic of adjectives. While the focus of Lesson 5 was on comparative adjectives, this time we are learning about superlative adjectives, both in their relative and absolute forms. We also hear a dialogue

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.05 | Comparative adjectives | Le vacanze… che fatica!

The latest lesson from Coffee Break Italian Season 3 is all about comparative adjectives. Join Mark and Francesca to learn about regular and irregular comparatives and the use of che and di when introducing comparisons. We also hear some useful phrases including all’ultimo minuto and spendere un occhio della testa.

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.03 | Simple future | Ci trasferiamo in Australia!

Join hosts Mark and Francesca in Lesson 3 of Coffee Break Italian Season 3 as they discuss the simple future. We talk about the structure of the tense and how it is formed and used in Italian. We also hear a dialogue between a father and daughter who are discussing aspects about their lives in

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.02 | Direct object pronouns with compound tenses | Pronti per la festa

Welcome to another episode from Season 3 of Coffee Break Italian! This time, Mark and Francesca discuss direct object pronouns with compound tenses and the use of agreements with the past participle. We also hear a dialogue in which three friends, Mirko, Diego, and Daniela discuss the details of a party they are organising. If

Coffee Break Italian

CBI 3.01 | Direct object pronouns – Una vacanza studio a Siena

In this first episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3, Francesca and Mark explain how Direct Object Pronouns work with simple verbs in the present tense. You’ll hear an explanation of the grammar point, then listen to a dialogue in which John, a Scottish student of Italian, is in Siena to improve his language skills.