italian - march 16

Attendance and Class Administration

  • Attendance check mentioned with names of students.
  • Next test scheduled for Monday, termed as test number one.
  • Class is slightly behind schedule, originally intended for the previous week.
  • Topics for the upcoming test to be posted by afternoon of the next day.
  • Review session planned for Wednesday, 15-20 minutes dedicated to discussing midterm exam preparations.

Lesson Focus and Structure

  • Today's lesson will cover:
    • Completion of previous discussion on adjectives.
    • Introduction to expressing time in Italian.
  • Review of past lesson on adjectives to ensure understanding before moving forward.

Adjectives Overview

  • Adjectives categorized into two main groups:
    1. First Group (Masculine endings in -o):
      • Includes most adjectives in the Italian language.
      • Changes in form depend on gender and number with four variations:
        • Singular: masculine (o), feminine (a)
        • Plural: masculine (i), feminine (e)
      • Example: Nationality can be expressed using "America".
    2. Second Group (Adjectives ending in -e):
      • Contains fewer adjectives compared to the first group.
      • Changes in form depend strictly on number with two variations:
        • Singular: (e), plural: (i)
      • Example: Adjective "Italiano" changes to "Italiani" for plural.

Common Descriptive Adjectives

  • Key adjectives include:
    • Bravo: Talented or good person, often used in the context of performance.
    • Buono/Buona: Generally expresses quality (good).
    • Bello: Refers to beauty (nice or cute).
    • Antipatico: Unpleasant (opposite of simpatico).
  • Nationalities are formed following adjective agreement:
    • Examples of nationalities:
      • Canadian = Canadaese (1st group)
      • German = Tedesco (notable exception in memorization)
      • Others: Italiana, Greco, Americano, etc.

Adjective Agreement

  • Rule that adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify.
  • Common mistakes addressed regarding pluralization:
    • Ending in "o" becomes "i" for plural.
    • Ending in "a" becomes "e" for plural.
  • Special note for adjectives ending in c, g, a, o: they add an "h" in the plural.

Introduction to Expressing Time in Italian

  • Vocabulary related to time:
    • "Ora" - means time (feminine).
    • To ask the time:
      • Singular: "Che ora è?"
      • Plural: "Che ore sono?"
    • Example phrases:
      • Exact hour: “It's XX o'clock” (XX is the hour)
  • For hours: 1 o'clock uses singular "è l'una", whereas 2-12 uses "sono le".

How to Answer Time Questions

  • Common expressions:
    • sharp: “in punto”
    • five minutes past the hour: "E cinque"
    • quarter past: "E un quarto"
    • half past: "E mezzo"
    • minutes till next hour: “[Meno] + minutes”
  • Practice examples:
    • 2:00 = "Sono le due."
    • 2:05 = "Sono le due e cinque."
    • 2:15 = "Sono le due e un quarto."
    • 2:30 = "Sono le due e mezzo."

Using Military Time

  • The 24-hour clock is often used in Italy and is referred to as military time. Applicable for bureaucracy, scheduling, and public transport.
  • Example mention of a train arriving at "16:00" (4 PM) during timetables.

Cultural Notes

  • Italian expressions for the time of day:
    • "Di mattina" = Morning
    • "Di pomeriggio" = Afternoon
    • "Di sera" = Evening
    • "Di notte" = Night.
  • Noon is typically expressed as "mezzogiorno", and midnight as "mezzanotte".

Homework and Next Steps

  • Homework on adjectives assigned to be completed before the next session:
    • Fill out sentences reflecting adjective agreement as per rules discussed in class.
  • Future plan includes more time practice and additional grammar review in the next session.
  • Instructor will post class materials and updates on the Brightspace platform.