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Italian Basic Italian Grammar Flashcards
50 question-and-answer cards covering Basic Italian Grammar as it is examined in Italian. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Basic Italian Grammar deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
What are the Italian subject pronouns for the singular persons?
io (I), tu (you, informal), lui (he), lei (she), and Lei (you, formal).
What are the Italian subject pronouns for the plural persons?
noi (we), voi (you all), loro (they).
What is the difference between 'tu' and 'Lei' as forms of 'you' in Italian?
tu is informal/familiar (friends, family, children); Lei (capitalized) is the formal/polite singular 'you' and takes third-person singular verb forms.
Why are subject pronouns often omitted in Italian sentences?
Because the verb conjugation ending already indicates the subject, making the pronoun redundant. Example: Parlo italiano = (I) speak Italian, no io needed.
When are Italian subject pronouns typically kept for emphasis or clarity?
For emphasis, contrast, or to avoid ambiguity. Example: Io lavoro, tu dormi (I work, you sleep) to contrast subjects.
Which subject pronoun corresponds to the polite 'you' and what verb person does it use?
Lei (formal you), which uses the third-person singular verb form, the same as lui/lei. Example: Lei parla italiano? (Do you speak Italian?).
What are the three conjugation groups of Italian regular verbs, identified by infinitive endings?
First conjugation: -are (parlare); second conjugation: -ere (credere); third conjugation: -ire (dormire).
What is the 'stem' (root) of a regular Italian verb and how do you find it?
The stem is the part left after removing the infinitive ending (-are, -ere, -ire). Example: parlare -> parl-, credere -> cred-, dormire -> dorm-.
What are the present-tense endings for regular -are verbs (io, tu, lui/lei, noi, voi, loro)?
-o, -i, -a, -iamo, -ate, -ano. Example: parlo, parli, parla, parliamo, parlate, parlano.
Conjugate the -are verb 'parlare' (to speak) in the full present tense.
io parlo, tu parli, lui/lei parla, noi parliamo, voi parlate, loro parlano.
What are the present-tense endings for regular -ere verbs?
-o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ete, -ono. Example: credo, credi, crede, crediamo, credete, credono.
Conjugate the -ere verb 'credere' (to believe) in the full present tense.
io credo, tu credi, lui/lei crede, noi crediamo, voi credete, loro credono.
What are the present-tense endings for regular -ire verbs (non -isc- type)?
-o, -i, -e, -iamo, -ite, -ono. Example: dormo, dormi, dorme, dormiamo, dormite, dormono.
Conjugate the -ire verb 'dormire' (to sleep) in the full present tense.
io dormo, tu dormi, lui/lei dorme, noi dormiamo, voi dormite, loro dormono.
Some -ire verbs insert -isc- in the present tense. Give the pattern and an example.
Verbs like capire and finire insert -isc- in all singular forms and the third-person plural: capisco, capisci, capisce, capiamo, capite, capiscono.
How do the present-tense 'noi' forms compare across all three regular conjugations?
They are identical in ending: always -iamo. Example: parliamo, crediamo, dormiamo, capiamo.
In the present tense, how do the third-person plural (loro) endings differ between -are and -ere/-ire verbs?
-are verbs end in -ano (parlano); -ere and -ire verbs end in -ono (credono, dormono).
How does an Italian present-tense verb agree with its subject?
The ending changes to match the person and number of the subject, so each of the six persons has a distinct ending. Example: (io) mangio vs. (noi) mangiamo.
For -are verbs whose stem ends in -c or -g (like cercare, pagare), what spelling change occurs before the -i and -iamo endings?
An 'h' is inserted to keep the hard c/g sound: cercare -> tu cerchi, noi cerchiamo; pagare -> tu paghi, noi paghiamo.
How does the Italian simple present tense translate into English (give the three meanings)?
'Parlo italiano' can mean 'I speak Italian,' 'I am speaking Italian,' and 'I do speak Italian' — Italian uses one present form for all three English senses.
Which subject pronoun goes with the verb form 'parlano', and what is its ending?
loro (they); the ending -ano marks third-person plural of an -are verb.
Conjugate the -are verb 'mangiare' (to eat) for tu and noi, noting the spelling.
tu mangi and noi mangiamo — the -i of the stem merges, so you do not write a double i (not 'mangii' or 'mangiiamo').
What is the correct present-tense form of 'abitare' (to live) for 'io', and what does it mean?
io abito, meaning 'I live' / 'I am living'. Full: abito, abiti, abita, abitiamo, abitate, abitano.
Compare the tu and lui/lei present endings for -are versus -ere verbs.
For -are: tu -i, lui/lei -a (parli, parla). For -ere: tu -i, lui/lei -e (credi, crede). The tu ending is -i in both, but the third-person singular differs (-a vs. -e).
What this deck covers
The Basic Italian Grammar deck follows the Italian Basic Italian Grammar syllabus — 2 chapters and 6 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 25.0 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 109 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Basic Italian Grammar flashcards FAQ
How many Basic Italian Grammar flashcards are in this Italian deck?
50 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these Italian flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 50-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Basic Italian Grammar cards cover?
They follow the Italian Basic Italian Grammar syllabus — 2 chapters and 6 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.