In this chapter of our Intermediate Italian e-book, we will explore an essential topic in everyday life: dates and times. The ability to understand and express these concepts is crucial to effective communication in any language, and Italian is no exception.
1. Days of the Week
The days of the week in Italian are all masculine and do not begin with a capital letter, as in English. Here they are: lunedì (Monday), martedì (Tuesday), mercoledì (Wednesday), giovedì (Thursday), venerdì (Friday), sabato (Saturday), domenica (Sunday). Note that all days, except 'sabato' and 'domenica', end in 'ì'.
2. Months of the Year
The months of the year in Italian are also masculine and, like the days of the week, do not begin with a capital letter: gennaio (January), febbraio (February), marzo (March), aprile (April), maggio (May ), giugno (June), luglio (July), agosto (August), settembre (September), ottobre (October), novembre (November), dicembre (December).
3. The Seasons
The seasons in Italian are: Primavera (spring), estate (summer), autunno (autumn), vento (winter). Unlike the days of the week and months, the seasons are feminine in Italian.
4. Expressing the Date
To express the date in Italian, we use the structure 'È il (number) (month)'. For example, 'È il 5 gennaio' means 'It is January 5th'. If you want to add the year, you can say 'È il 5 gennaio 2020'. Note that the numbers 1 to 10 have unique shapes, while the numbers 11 to 31 use the regular cardinal shape.
5. Asking Data
To ask 'What day is it?' in Italian you would say 'Che giorno è oggi?'. If you want to ask 'What is today's date?', you can ask 'What is the current date?'.
6. Hours of the Day
To express the time in Italian, we use the structure 'Sono le (number)'. For example, 'Sono le due' means 'It is two o'clock'. If you want to specify minutes, you can say 'Sono le due e quindici' for 'It's a quarter past two'. To say 'noon' and 'midnight' we use 'mezzogiorno' and 'mezzanotte' respectively.
7. Asking the Time
To ask 'What time is it?' in Italian you would say 'Che ore sono?'. If you want to ask 'What time is the meeting?', you can ask 'A che ora è la rionione?'.
8. Parts of the Day
The parts of the day in Italian are: mattina (morning), pomeriggio (afternoon), sera (evening) and notte (night). To express 'at night', we use 'di notte'.
9. Expressing Specific Days and Times
To express 'on Monday' in Italian, you would say 'lunedì'. If you want to say 'at three o'clock', you would say 'alle tre'. To say 'at three o'clock on Monday', you would say 'lunedì alle tre'.
10. Important Dates
Some important dates to remember in Italian are: Capodanno (New Year, January 1st), Pasqua (Easter, variable date), Festa della Repubblica (Feast of the Republic, June 2nd), Natale (Christmas, 25th December).
We hope this chapter has given you a clear understanding of how to express and understand dates and times in Italian. Practice these words and phrases until they become second nature to you. In the next chapter, we'll explore more useful topics to help you become fluent in Italian.
