-
- I hope
- speráre
- you will not refuse me
- ricusáre
- the favour
- favóre
- to recommend me to
- raccomandáre
- your friends
- vostro amíco
- in town.
- città.
-
- My uncle
- zio
- told me yesterday
- dire jéri
- you were not well,
- [3]stare bene
- but I am very glad
- ma rallegrársi
- to find
- trováre
- you are
- better to-day.
- méglio oggi.
-
- You promised
- prométtere
- to write to me
- scrívere
- last week,
- passáto settimána
- but I am very sorry
- ma rincréscere
- to observe
- vedére
- you have forgot me.
- che vi siete scordato di me.
We always put che instead of but in English, with a
negation before the Verb.
-
- I desired but one favour from you,[1]
- chiédere favóre
- and you refused it me.
- ricusáre.
-
- If you would give me
- dare
- but one guinea
- ghinéa
- at once,
- alla volta
- you would oblige me
- obbligáre
- infinitely.
- infinitaménte.
-
- When one has
- quando[2] avére
- little money,
- poco danáro
- one ought to spend
- dovére spéndere
- accordingly.
- in conseguénza.
-
- I ask you
- domandáre
- but what
- others give me.
- altro dare.
-
- You do nothing but
- fare [3]
- laugh and play.
- rídere giuocáre.
-
- He does nothing but
- eat and drink.
- mangiáre bere.
-
- When others laugh,
- altro rídere
- you do nothing but
- fare
- cry.
- piángere.
On the Particles Relative ci and vi. The Particles
Relative ci and vi, are put instead of there, within
and in that.
-
- I went yesterday to
- venire jéri
- your house
- casa
- to see you,
- vedére
- but your man told me
- ma servitore dire
- you were not
- éssere
- within.
-
- Indeed
- in verità
- I was there
- almost all the afternoon;
- quasi tutto dopo pranzo
- at what time
- che ora
- did you come?
- veníre?
-
- I went there
- at six o’clock.
- sei
-
- He was in the right
- [1]avére
- to tell you
- dire
- that I was not within,
- éssere
- for I was gone to visit
- andáre visitáre
- a few friends
- alcúno amíco
- in the square.
- piázza.
-
- My brother
- fratéllo
- and sister
- sorélla
- are gone into
- andáre
- the country.
- campagna.
-
- When
- quando
- did they go,
- I wish to know?
- vorréi sapére?
-
- They went
- andáre
- yesterday morning.
- jéri mattína.
-
- Is it long since
- [2]
- you saw
- vedére
- our regiment?
- reggiménto?
-
- It is
- two months,
- due mese
- if
- se
- I remember well.
- ricordáre bene.
-
- How long is it since
- éssere
- you left France?
- lasciáre Fráncia?
-
- It is
- five and twenty years,
- cinque venti anno
- or thereabouts.
- incírca.
How to express some of it, or some of them.
[See Grammar p. 215.]
-
- You have
- avére
- three horses,
- tre cavállo
- lend me
- prestátemene
- one of them.
- uno.
-
- I have but two,
- avére due
- one for
- myself,
- me
- and the other for
- my man.
- servitore.
-
- I thought
- crédere
- you had
- avére
- three (of them).
- tre.
-
- To shew you
- far vedére
- that I have
- avére
- but two (of them),
- due
- come with me into
- veníre meco
- the stable,
- stalla
- and you will not see
- vedére
- any more (of them).
- più.
-
- I do not doubt it at all,
- dubitáre[1]
- I believe you.
- crédere.
-
- I see
- vedére
- very fine flowers
- bello fióre
- in your garden,
- giardíno
- give me
- dare
- some.
-
- I have not many,
- avére molto
- but what there are,
- ma quel [2]
- are at your service.
- servízio.
-
- I have but
- fifteen or sixteen,
- quindici sedici
- as you see.
- vedére.
-
- You may take
- potére pigliáre
- a dozen,
- dozzina
- if you please.
- piacére.
-
- What will you
- volére
- have me do
- fare
- with them?
-
- You may give
- dare
- some to
- your daughters.
- vostro figlia.
-
- Do they talk
- [3] parláre
- of the war
- guerra
- in your town?
- città?
-
- They talk of it
- all over
- tutto
- the island.
- ísola.
-
- And what
- do they think of
- crédere
- our neighbours’ intentions?
- vicíno intenzióne?
-
- They know
- sapére
- very little
- poco
- about them
- here.
- quì.
Exercises on the Tenses of the Verbs.
The Present Tense is when the Action of which one
speaks, is present.
-
- Sir,
- Signóre
- I come
- veníre
- to have the honour
- avére onóre
- to see you.
- vedére.
-
- I am
- éssere
- infinitely obliged to you
- infinitaménte obbligáre
- for this favour.
- questo favóre.
-
- How does
- [1]stare
- the lady your mother
- signóra madre
- do?
-
- She is very well,
- stáre beníssimo
- sir, and
- presents
- presentáre
- her compliments
- compliménto
- to you.
-
- I am
- éssere
- her most humble servant,
- úmile servo
- and am very glad
- rallegrársi
- to hear
- sentíre
- she is well.
- stare bene.
-
- Will you
- volére
- come
- veníre
- and walk with me
- spasseggiáre
- in the garden?
- giardíno?
-
- Pray
- pregáre
- excuse me,
- scusáre
- I cannot stay
- potére restáre
- any longer.
-
- You are always
- in great haste
- grande fretta
- when
- you come
- veníre
- to see me.
- vedére.
-
- I beg your pardon,
- mi perdoni
- sir, I have been
- here
- quì
- above an hour,
- circa ora
- and my sister
- sorélla
- is all alone
- tutto solo
- at home.
- casa.
-
- I am sorry you will not stay:
- [2]dispiacére volére rimanére
- I entreat you
- supplicáre
- to present
- presentáre
- my most humble respects
- úmile rispétto
- to the lady
- signóra
- your mother.
- madre.
The Imperfect Tense is when the Action of which
one speaks, is going on, or is interrupted.
-
- Sir,
- Signóre
- we were speaking
- parláre
- of you,
- when
- quando
- you came in.
- entrare.
-
- What
- che
- were you saying
- dire
- of me,
- ladies?
- signóra?
-
- We were saying
- dire
- that when
- quando
- you were in France,
- éssere Fráncia
- among the ladies,
- fra dame
- you were
- éssere
- the most gallant,
- galánte
- the most courteous,
- cortése
- and the most complaisant
- compiacente
- gentleman
- signóre
- in the world.
- mondo.
-
- I did not think,
- pensáre
- ladies,
- signora
- I was so happy as
- avere la fortuna
- to be the subject of
- éssere soggétto
- your conversation;
- conversazióne
- and what
- do you think
- crédere
- I am now?
-
- We believe that
- crédere
- you are still
- éssere ancóra
- very civil,
- civíle
- and very complaisant;
- compiacénte
- but
- ma
- not so gallant
- galánte
- as you were then.
- éssere.
-
- Louis the XIVth was
- Luígi [1]
- one of the greatest kings
- grande Re
- in the world;
- mondo
- he was
- a lover of fine sciences,
- amatóre bello léttera
- he did not love flatterers,
- amáre adulatóre
- neither did he
- always follow
- sempre seguíre
- his own inclinations;
- inclinazióne
- and if
- e se
- he could not
- get the victory
- guadagnáre vittória
- over his enemies
- nemíco
- by the force of his arms,
- forza arma
- he would get it
- ottenére
- by the number of his louis d’ors;
- número luígi d’oro
- in a word,
- in somma
- he was
- a great politician.
- grande politíco.
The Perfect Definite is a Tense perfectly past, and
often determined by an Adverb of time past.
-
- Where
- dove
- did you go
- andáre
- yesterday,
- jéri
- that
- you were not
- éssere
- at home,
- when
- quando
- I went
- veníre
- to see you?
- vedére?
-
- I went to see
- andáre vedére
- Mr. N.
- il signór
- who is not well.
- stare
-
- Did you meet with
- trováre
- any company
- compagnía
- there?
-
- Yes, sir, I met with
- his uncle
- zio
- and three of
- tre
- his sisters.
- sorélla.
-
- What was
- quale éssere
- the subject of
- soggetto
- your conversation?
- conversazíone?
-
- We spoke of
- parláre
- many
- molto
- different things.
- differénte cosa.
-
- Did you speak
- Italian
- Italiáno
- with them?
Yes, all our conversation was in Italian.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: No Italian translation was provided for this line.
-
- Did they say
- dire
- you speak it
- well?
- bene?
-
- They said
- nothing
- niente
- about it.
-
- Did they not ask you
- domandáre
- of whom
- chi
- you learn?
- imparáre?
Yes, I told them I was learning of you.
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: No Italian translation was provided for this line.
-
- The emperor, Julius Cæsar,
- imperatóre Giúlio Césare
- after
- dopo
- he had conquered
- conquistáre
- Britain,
- Brettágna
- built a tower
- [1]edificáre torre
- at London,
- Londra
- but he continued not there;
- restáre
- he appointed
- constituíre
- rulers in his stead,
- governatóre vece
- and returned
- ritornáre
- from London
- Londra
- to Rome.
- Roma.
-
- Henry the VIIIth,
- Enrico ottávo
- king of England,
- Re Inghilterra
- regarded not
- badáre
- the bulls
- bolla
- and threatenings
- mináccia
- which came from Italy;
- veníre Italia
- he violently shook off
- violenteménte scuótere
- the papal power,
- papále potére
- though he retained
- ritenére
- the Roman religion.
- Románo religióne.
The Preterpluperfect is a Tense so perfectly past,
that it cannot be interrupted.
-
- I am very glad
- rallegrársi
- to see you,
- vedére
- for
- your brother
- fratello
- told me
- dire
- you were gone to France.
-
- ’Tis true
- vero
- I was resolved
- risólvere
- to go there,
- andáre
- if
- [1]
- my father had given me
- padre avére dare
- money enough
- danáro
- to make that journey.
- fare viággio.
-
- Had he given you
- avére dáre
- leave
- licénza
- to go there?
- andáre?
-
- Yes,
- si
- and he gave me
- dare
- fifty guineas
- cinquánta ghinéa
- to make my journey.
- fare viággio.
-
- If
- [2]
- he had given me
- avére dare
- thirty more,
- trenta
- I should have gone
- essere andáre
- to Paris
- Parígi
- to pass the summer.
- passáre estáte.
-
- If
- you had come to see me,
- veníre vedére
- I would have lent
- avére prestáre
- you some.
-
- I am
- éssere
- much obliged
- molto obbligáto
- to you for it.
-
- When you had a mind
- quando pensare
- to go to France,
- andáre Fráncia
- were you resolved
- risólvere
- to set out
- partíre
- without
- senza
- taking leave of
- licenziársi
- your friends?
- amíco?
-
- No, sir,
- no signóre
- I had already taken leave of
- essere digià licenziársi da
- several.
- molto.
-
- Very well,
- beníssimo
- but
- ma
- you had forgotten me.
- scordársi.
-
- I am sorry
- dispiacére
- you have
- so bad an opinion
- cattívo opinióne
- of me.