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Instantly Italy

Italian speaking practice and grammar tutoring

[Italian Grammar] How To Use Anzi in Italian

04/24/2025

This is a post about the use of anzi in Italian
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Here comes another post about a tricky little Italian word.

Even though Italian grammar is full of big, scary topics, like the congiuntivo or the periodo ipotetico, the questions I get the most are related to tiny words frequently used in conversation. The use of these words, like mica, pure, cioè, for example, seems to be harder to grasp than that of other grammar elements.

[Read more…]

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[Italian Vocabulary] Words and Phrases To Talk About Magazines and Newspapers

03/26/2025

Italian Vocabulary for Magazines
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Newspapers and paper magazines may slowly disappear from our lives, but their specific vocabulary is not.

While I was preparing a YouTube livestream where I focused on the contents of an Italian magazine, I realized that the Italian vocabulary you need to know to talk about this topic is quite wide and applicable not only to paper magazines and newspapers but to their digital versions as well.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Italian language 2 Comments

[Italian Grammar] How To Use Pure In Italian

01/22/2025

How to use pure in Italian
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Italian is full of tricky little words that can be a bit confusing.

As I said in a previous post about mica, using certain words can be more difficult than mastering bigger grammar topics. This is why I’ve written a post summarizing how to use pure in Italian, hoping to help students learn more about this sneaky word.

[Read more…]

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[Italian Grammar] How and When to Use the Formal Lei in Italian

12/12/2024

This post tells you how and when to use the formal Lei in Italian
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When speaking Italian, you probably have avoided using the polite Lei, at least sometimes.

A lot of students do. Since this form is not very common in other languages, many students are not familiar with it and find it tricky to use. Many of them simply avoid it and always choose the informal Tu.

[Read more…]

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[Italian Books] The Perfect Book To Start Reading in Italian

11/25/2024

A book to start reading in Italian
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If you are studying a foreign language and love reading books, it comes a time when you want to start reading books in that language.

However, finding the right book can be a problem. Sometimes teachers recommend classics but those books can often be quite difficult. And even some contemporary novels can be a struggle if you are not a fluent reader yet.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Italian language 3 Comments

[Italian Grammar] How To Use Mica in Italian

10/24/2024

How To Use Mica in Italian
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

Some little words in Italian can be trickier than big grammar topics.

One of these words, for example, is mica. I talked about it in my latest YouTube live stream and, since I have often been asked for tips on how to use mica in Italian, I thought writing a post about it to summarize its use would be useful.

[Read more…]

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Andiamo al mare: a brand new book to practice Italian this summer!

06/12/2024

Looking for a book to practice Italian? Sabrina is back on holiday and has taken her diary with her, ready to write down all her adventures.

Summer has almost arrived and Sabrina is ready to go on holiday again!

If you read Un’estate al lago last summer, you might be waiting to know if Sabrina will meet Mark again. If you don’t know what I am talking about, let me just tell you that a new book to practice Italian over the summer is out today.

[Read more…]

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Three Italian Movies About Human Relationships That You Might Find Interesting

03/07/2024

I have recently watched three very good Italian movies about human relationships and I thought you might like them too.
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

I do not go to the cinema often, I have to confess.

I am very fussy about movies and do not like people chatting, eating, or, even worse, using their phones when they are in a cinema. In an ideal world, everybody should shut up and simply watch the movie. I know this is impossible, that’s why I stopped going to the cinema!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Italian culture, Italian language 2 Comments

[Italian Vocabulary] How to Talk About Murder Mysteries in Italian: Some Useful Words

02/01/2024

In this post you'll find some useful words that you may need if you want to talk about murder mysteries in Italian
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

Murder mystery novels are probably the books my Italian students enjoy reading the most. 

It’s not my favorite genre, but I perfectly understand the passion for this type of novel. Also, crime novels are obviously a perfect read for language students because they are heavily focused on action, have a lot of dialogue, and are generally way easier to understand than other books.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Italian language 2 Comments

[Italian Grammar] The Imperfetto: Common Uses In Spoken Italian

01/25/2024

In this post, you'll review how to use the imperfetto in Italian and also learn new uses of the imperfetto that you may not know
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

Speaking about the past in Italian requires the use of two tenses: the imperfetto and the passato prossimo. 

Knowing when to use the imperfetto or the passato prossimo when speaking about the past can be quite difficult for Italian students. Over the years, I noticed that even advanced students struggle with this grammar topic, which seems quite simple at first but has many nuances that can be difficult to comprehend.

[Read more…]

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Ciao!

My name is Cinzia and Italy is the place I call home.

Books feed my soul, music fills my days and travelling makes my life richer. I am a day dreamer, tireless walker and believer in the power of little things.

I’ve created Instantly Italy to take you to Italy with me and explore together this crazy but “oh so lovely” country. Read More…

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