How To learn Italian Fast

By optilingo

I say this in many of my posts on other languages, but if you want to know how to learn Italian fast, one easy trick is to start with cognates. Thanks to its Latin and Italian sources, English language has lot of similarities with Italian. These similarities are called cognates, have same or similar spelling of Italian words. We will divide cognates in groups. If you want to know how to learn Italian fast, try picking up the following rules for Italian – English cognates.

1. Words that are different due to the final letter (missing the vowel in English)
2. Words ending in –ale in Italian and in –al in English
3. Words ending in –bile in Italian and in –ble in English
4. Words ending in –ente/-ante in Italian and in –ent/-ant in English
5. Words ending with different vowel
6. Words ending in -zione in Italian and in –tion in English
7. Words ending in -tà in Italian and in –ty in English
8. Words ending in -oso in Italian and in –ous in English
9. Words eding in -ismo in Italian and end in –ism in English
10. Words ending in in –bile in Italian and end in –ble in English

Was that a bit too abstract? Here are some examples to illustrate Italian and English cognates. Like I said, if you want to know how to learn Italian fast, picking up on cognates is the way to go.

Acrobata                                    Acrobat

Altare                                                      Altar

Concerto                                    Concert

Errore                                                      Error

Dollaro                                                      Dollar

Moderno                                    Modern

Problema                                    Problem

Poeta                                                      Poet

Accidentale                                    Accidental

Artificiale                                    Artificial

Canale                                                      Canal

Finale                                                      Final

Naturale                                    Natural

Originale                                    Original

Vitale                                                      Vital

Adorabile                                    Adorable

Impossibile                                    Impossible

Miserabile                                    Miserable

Terribile                                    Terrible

Responsabile                                    Responsible

Diligente                                    Diligent

Ingrediente                                    Ingredient

Recente                                    Recent

Eloquente                                    Eloquent

Tollerante                                    Tolerant

Cura                                                      Cure

Futuro                                                      Future

Minuto                                                      Minute

Nativo                                                      Native

Paradiso                                    Paradise

Senso                                                      Sense

Temperatura                                    Temperature

Amministrazione                  Administration

Approssimazione                  Approximation

Articolazione                                    Articulation

Astrazione                                    Abstration

Attrazione                                    Attraction

Stazione                                     Station

Azione                                                      Action

Circolazione                                    Circulation

Città                                                       City

Università                                    University

Fertilità                                                      Fertility

Stupidità                                    Stupidity

Mobilità                                    Mobility

Socialismo                                     Socialism

Ottimismo                                     Optimism

Comunismo                                     Communism

Possibile                                    Possible

Impossibile                                    Possible

Terribile                                    Terrible